All or Nothing
by Nimue Redfern
Summary: Lonely girl Erica is looking forward to moving to a new town where she hopes to make some new friends and start a new life. Only she finds herself thrown into something humans aren’t supposed to know about.
1. Prologue

Title: All or Nothing  
Author: Nimue Redfern   
Email: bloodoftin@yahoo.co.uk  
Spoiler: Basic Night World concepts  
Disclaimer: Night World and any characters mentioned belong to LJS, everything else is mine.   
Rating: 15  
Warnings: Femslash, mild sex (straight) violence, language  
Summary: Lonely girl Erica is looking forward to moving to a new town where she hopes to make some new friends and start a new life. Only she finds herself thrown into something humans aren't supposed to know about.   
Notes: feedback appreciated.  
  
Prologue  
  
It never should have happened, but it had. And Scarlet was going to have to deal with it whether she wanted to or not.  
  
It was just so hard to believe. She had never asked for any of it, and yet she had been thrown into the deep end, again.   
  
They all thought they were so wonderful, so righteous, it was almost sickening. It didn't matter any more. So they had once been friends. So what? They were from different worlds.   
  
Scarlet had always believed hers was the more superior one. The one with the laws that had to be followed with a threat of death, a force to be reckoned with. For almost all her life she had been perfectly inclined to believe that.  
  
She wanted someone to talk to, but who would understand? She certainly wasn't ready to change yet.   
  
"It'll happen sooner or later, and you know it as well as I do."  
  
Scarlet's teeth gritted. She refused to turn around and look as she heard Erica's voice, her footsteps sliding over the pebbly beach.  
  
"Not necessarily," Scarlet said through gritted teeth, keeping her voice calm and cool. She refused to let any emotion show.   
  
"What's the big deal, anyway?" Erica asked. Her voice was hurt.   
  
Scarlet tried to pretend she didn't care. Everything was Erica's fault. If Scarlet had never met the girl, she wouldn't be where she was now.   
  
"If you stay, then they'll kill you." Erica reached out to touch her.   
  
Scarlet jerked away. "Don't. Just leave me alone." She turned to glare pointedly, her eyes flashing with rage.  
  
Erica just stood there, in the dying light of the day, her pale face said, her luminous grey eyes brimming with unshed tears. Her soft blonde hair blew in the salty breeze of the ocean.  
  
"But I love you," she whispered.   
  
  
  
"Well I *don't*," Scarlet snapped. She knew she was being cruel. She knew Erica was likely to go home and cry herself to sleep. *It* *didn't* *matter*. "What do I have to do to get it into your thick head? *Go* *away*! I don't want to see you *ever* *again*!"  
  
Erica sighed sadly. "If that's what you want, then I'll just go." She turned and began climbing over the rocky beach, and out of Scarlet's life for ever.  
  
Scarlet watched her go. Alone at last. ~This isn't fair~ she thought.  
  
A tiny voice somewhere inside her was whispering softly, it wasn't going to be over this easily.  
  
Not by a long shot.  
  
* * * 


	2. Part 1

Part 1  
  
Dear Diary,  
I'm not sure if I'm thrilled or terrified. Moving in the middle of the school year is kind of weird, but I didn't get a choice in the arrangements.   
  
It's not like I'd be leaving much behind, I guess. I've spend hours whishing I can be anywhere but here. To find a group I belong in, a place of my own, people who could accept me.  
  
And now this is my chance.   
  
Where I lived before I was always considered weird and an outcast. A loner. I didn't follow trends or fashions, or anything like that. I was my own person. Didn't get me very far up the social scale.   
  
I pretended I didn't care, that it was what I expected. It generally didn't bother me. I knew they made fun of me, talked about me behind my back. I didn't let them get to me, those who were so wonderful and perfect.  
  
  
Maybe I'd meet someone here. New town, new school, I could be different. Some gorgeous boy might notice me and I'd get the fairytale romance I'm sure most eighteen year olds dream of.   
  
It was a nice thought. I had no idea what my new school would be like. I would be a senior, so if I didn't like there, there would only be a short while before college and I could try again.   
  
I'm more than a little nervous. I'm getting a plague of what-ifs running through my mind. What if they're all mean? What if they laugh at me? What if I never make friends?  
  
And so on, and so on.   
  
There's only one way to find out.  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
Erica put her diary in her backpack, then changed her mind, dreading the idea of anyone finding it and reading her most private thoughts and secrets. She hit it under her mattress.  
  
"Erica! You up?" Her mother's voice drifted up from downstairs.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute."  
  
She eyed her reflection in a full-length mirror critically. Her blonde hair hung in soft curls to her shoulders, her grey eyes sparkled with suppressed hope. She was dressed in a white top with a pattern of purple and black irises and a short blue denim skirt showing off long slender legs. She hoped she looked okay. She took a deep, steadying breath, picked up her backpack and headed downstairs.   
  
The kitchen was still a mess form breakfast. She winced at the acrid smell that met her nostrils, something had burnt.   
  
"Hungry?" her mother asked.  
  
Erica shook her head. "Not really." She sat at the table, toying with a fork, waiting for her mother to sort herself out and take her to school.  
  
"This is just *evil*, forcing us to do this," Erica's younger sister Janelle complained.   
  
Erica's eyes rolled. Of course Janelle would think it was unfair. Janelle had been the perfect, popular one, always surrounded by her weird drama and artsy friends. Even now in the blazing California sunshine she was dressed in a black turtleneck and black leather pants. Her hair should have been blonde like Erica's, only it was dyed a garish bright pink. Erica wondered how she could stand it.   
  
"I'm sure you'll both make lots of friends right away," their mother said dismissively. "Ready? Let's go."   
  
"What did I do to deserve this?" Janelle whined as they trudged out the door.   
  
"Maybe it won't be so bad," Erica said, trying to be reassuring. Maybe she was just trying to comfort her own doubts.   
  
"That's easy for *you* to say," Janelle muttered sourly. "*You* have nothing to leave behind."  
  
Erica kept silent. Picture-perfect landscapes passed by her. Even she found herself awed at palm trees in September. Back home in Carolina it had just been regular trees all year round. It was a refreshing change to see something different.   
  
After they had signed in at the office ad been given their schedules, Erica almost wished Janelle was in the same grade as her, so at least she'd be with someone she knew.   
  
But Janelle had already gone and Erica found herself alone. She sighed, trudging on to her first class. Math. If things weren't already bad enough.   
  
  
  
"Hey! Watch!"   
  
Erica blinked, not seeing the girl with the impossibly long dark red hair until it was too late. As they collided Erica's backpack fell from her shoulder its contents scattering on the floor. Erica flashed with embarrassment. "Sorry," she muttered.  
  
The girl didn't help Erica pick up her things. "Watch it in the future," she snapped.  
  
Erica looked up. The girl was stunning, model-perfect, dressed in a black leather corset with lacy trimmings showing a daring amount of cleavage and a long black leather skirt, her skin was naturally marble-white. She was the type of girl Janelle had always wanted to be. She glared at Erica in annoyance before turning away in disgust, the heels of her boots clicking on the cold floor.  
  
Erica stumbled to her feet, gathering her backpack.   
  
"Hey - you dropped this!" a voice called.   
  
Erica turned, not ready for another encounter with the horrible Goth girl. This girl was totally the opposite, small and delicate, tight brown curls cascading down her back. She was holding out a small white notebook with a design of daisies on the covers. "Ignore her," she said, nodding in the direction the creepy Goth girl had gone. "She's not the friendliest person in the world."  
  
"I gathered," Erica said, taking the notebook. "Thanks."  
  
"You're new?"  
  
Erica nodded. "Erica Hamilton."  
  
The girl smiled. "I'm Celeste Arlin."  
  
Erica kicked herself mentally, wishing she could think of something to say. "I guess I'd better get to class." Could she sound any lamer?  
  
"All right. See you round."  
  
Erica checked her schedule again, reminding herself where she was meant to be. She was already late. Great. What else could go wrong today?  
  
* * * 


	3. Part 2

Part 2  
  
Scarlet picked up the notebook she'd taken from the new kid, thumbing through it. Taking it had been a moment of instinct, she had been angry at the idiotic human girl knocking into her without paying attention.  
  
It was the black irises on the girl's top that had caught her attention. It was probably going to turn out to be nothing more than a coincidence. A new Night Person on the scene would be fin. Life was pretty dull at the moment.   
  
"What's that?" Her friend Ara's slender hand with its glittery orange nails slid in front of Scarlet's face, taking the notebook. "Who's Erica?"  
  
"Some new kid who was being a jerk," Scarlet answered dismissively.   
  
"Is that a correct account of what happened, or was it just you being a bitch?" Ara said with a grin.  
  
Scarlet just glared. Er eyes scanned the kids in the classroom, the teacher was glaring at her and Ara for talking. Scarlet ignored her. The same faces she'd seen day in and day out for years on end were starting to bore her. Lately she had been crying out for some sort of change.   
  
She had thought someone new coming would be fun. Well, it still could be, she thought with a curve of her lips.   
  
"What are you smirking at?" Ara asked, suspicious. "Are we going to play with the new girl?" Her violet eyes glittered wickedly.  
  
"We have to be sure she's not one of us first," Scarlet said, She shuddered as an unpleasant memory tried to emerge.   
  
"She's dead," Ara's voice was soft. "They can't hurt you anymore." She reached out but before her hand could touch Scarlet's she jerked away.  
  
"Don't," Scarlet whispered.   
  
Ara pulled away. "I just - "  
  
"I know," Scarlet cut her off bluntly. "Just don't." She tried to surpress another shudder. She'd get over it eventually.   
  
"You're not sure?" Ara asked, changing the subject.  
  
Scarlet shook her head. "She had black irises on her top."  
  
Ara shrugged dismissively. "Probably nothing. Come on, a new toy will cheer you up."  
  
Scarlet tried to smile. "I'll look into it."  
  
"You need *something*. Dathan's obviously not doing much."  
  
Scarlet allowed herself to smirk. "He's doing plenty."  
  
  
After what she had come to refer to as The Incident she had found comfort in the arms of Dathan Redfern. Before she had thought he was too loud, too crude and full of himself, along with those stupid friends of his. But now her opinion of Dathan at least, was different.   
  
"I'll trade you for Joab if you like," Ara added hopefully.  
  
Scarlet snorted. "In your dreams, girl."  
  
Ara's boyfriend Joab was exactly the opposite of his bother Dathan. Tall and thin and somewhat lanky, he looked like a black and white drawing, and in Scarlet's opinion, was just as interesting.   
  
"But we might get ourselves a new toy anyway," she said with an unpleasant smile.   
  
* * * 


	4. Part 3

Part 3  
  
It had to be there! It just had to be! Erica thumbed through her backpack for a fourth time but to no avail.   
  
Where was it? She had taken her diary out her bag, but had foolishly left her Thought book in her bag. It was kind of like a diary, but not quite. It was still extremely personal.   
  
She dreaded to think what could have happened to it. If someone had found it...  
  
People could be reading it and laughing at her. How would she ever make friends?  
  
"Bad day?"  
  
She found herself pleased to be running into Celeste on the way to the cafeteria. "I lost another notebook this morning. It's kind of important."  
  
Celeste shrugged. "I only saw the one I gave you. It'll turn up. Try Lost and Found at the end of the day."  
  
Erica didn't say anything. She didn't want to wait until the end of the day. She wanted that notebook *now*.   
  
"Well, come and meet some people, that'll cheer you up."  
  
Erica managed a weak smile as Celeste led her over to a table already crowded with people. Everyone was so polite and friendly Erica felt extremely embarrassed about not being able to make conversation.  
  
" - she had a run in with Scarlet Blackthorn this morning."  
  
Erica tuned in on Celeste's sentence. So the mysterious Goth girl had a name.   
  
"Talk about a bad way to start a new school," a dark haired boy named Cole snorted.  
  
  
  
"That bad?" Erica asked, a pit starting to grow in her stomach. Oh no, if that girl had found her notebook...  
  
"Just ignore her," a ginger-haired girl named Triana said dismissively. "She's a pain in the ass, but she only has power when she knows people are scared of her."  
  
Erica opened her mouth when a guy approached the table. Everyone fell silent. Erica tried not to stare. He was dressed in baggy jeans and a T-shirt with the emblem of some obscure heavy-metal band. His hair was a mass of black dread-locks hanging almost to his waist.  
  
"What do you want?" Celeste asked finally, her voice harsh.  
  
"We're looking for an Erica Hamilton," the boy said.   
  
Erica frowned, waving a hand. "That's me. Who are you?"  
  
"Caleb. My friend has something that belongs to you and he wants to give it back."  
  
Erica stood up, nervous. Her notebook?  
  
"Maybe one of us should go with you," Celeste said, glaring at Caleb.   
  
"She's a big girl, I think she can handle herself." Caleb said dryly. He smiled at Erica, making her insides go all warm.  
  
"Okay," she said, and left with Caleb. She wondered why his friend hadn't come to give her the notebook himself.  
  
Caleb led her out the cafeteria to a classroom on the second floor. A small group of people were sat there. A boy with long pale blond hair, black lipsticked-lips, eyes yellow as a hawk's. A girl with orangey-red hair, a pale face as white as orchids, glimmering violet eyes. And a third boy with a differentness about him to the rest. He was tall, even sitting down, dressed in black from head to toe, even his dark skin and black eyes seemed to match. His hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, a shimmering blue-black. The only colourful thing about him was his green eyes, blazing like emeralds.   
  
"You're Erica?" the cat-eyed boy asked.   
  
Erica nodded wordlessly.   
  
"I'm Dathan, that's Ridge, that's Ara." He pointed to each. He held out a hand to her. Not knowing what she was doing Erica found herself drawn to Dathan, taking his hand. He smiled at her, and handed her her notebook as if it had appeared out of magic.  
  
Erica took the book. "T-thanks," she whispered.  
  
"I must also apologise for Scarlet's behaviour this morning," Dathan went on. "She's been through a rough time recently, but that's no excuse for her attitude."  
  
"It's okay, I forgive her." What was *happening* to her? She had never been so...*enthralled* with a boy on first meeting before. It seemed like Dathan had some sort of control over her. Get what he wanted out of her.   
  
"Let me make it up to you by taking you out tonight. I'll come and get you at eight."  
  
Erica nodded. "Okay."  
  
Dathan smiled and sat down again. "Caleb, take her back to the cafeteria."  
  
Caleb did as he was told. Erica followed meekly. She saw the others exchange glances. "What happened?" Cole demanded.   
  
Erica held up the notebook. I lost this this morning." She sighed dreamily. "Dathan found it for me." She barely noticed the shocked glances and mutterings. She didn't care. She had a date.  
  
* * * 


	5. Part 4

Part 4  
  
"What happened?" Scarlet asked Ara as they met just before last period.  
  
Ara snorted. "Worked like charm." She waved several pieces of hand-written paper. "I got Ridge to copy the notebook for us."  
  
Scarlet scanned the papers. She'd read them later. "And..."  
  
"Hook, line and sinker," Ara smirked. "One look was all it took."  
  
Scarlet smiled. She had expected this. Dathan could make anyone do anything he wanted. There was just *something* about him that was impossible to refuse, that *demanded* attention.  
  
"He's taking her out somewhere tonight. Joab and I are going to follow."  
  
Scarlet nodded. "Good. And the Damned Daybreakers?"   
  
Ara didn't answer. Scarlet sighed heavily. The Daybreakers, of course, were going to be the biggest problem. If they figured out what she was up to, then it was all over.   
  
She shook her head, refusing to let negative thinking in. They were stronger and smarter, plus, they had Dathan too. They couldn't do anything to her anymore. She allowed herself a smirk. They'd pay for what they'd done to her.   
  
"And you'll report back to me?" Scarlet asked.   
  
Ara nodded. "Sure. Then we'll decide what to do."  
  
Scarlet left for her last class. She glanced through the papers, skimming the lines of Ridge's neat handwriting. This should make interesting reading.  
  
* * *  
  
  
Erica breezed through her afternoon classes in a daze. She saw several people she met at lunch. She shared English with Cole and psychology with Triana.   
  
She found herself unsurprisingly longing for it to be eight p.m. She wondered where Dathan would take her. A cozy restaurant? A romantic movie?  
  
"Do you know where you're going with Dathan?" Triana asked, just before class ended. Her expression was strange.   
  
"No. He didn't say. Why?"  
  
Triana shrugged uncomfortably. "It's just - well - Dathan Redfern has something of a - " She seemed to be searching for words. " - reputation."  
  
Erica frowned a little. He was a womaniser? Still, it wasn't going to put her down. Maybe she could be the one who could make him settle down. "Does he have a girlfriend?" she asked.   
  
Triana snorted. "He's got Scarlet Blackthorn wrapped around his fingers."  
  
The girl Erica had run into that morning? But she was horrible! At least that's what Erica's first impressions of her had been. She could always turn out to be different.  
  
Or maybe Scarlet wouldn't be right for Dathan and it would turn out that *she* was. Erica knew it was wishful thinking, but she could dream, couldn't she?  
  
"Should I be worried?" she said finally.  
  
"Just careful," Triana said as the bell rang.  
  
Erica's good mood was slightly dampened by Triana's warning. If Dathan was dating Scarlet, then why had he even bothered to ask her out? It seemed there was more going on than met the eye. Or maybe she was totally wrong and it was just Triana's opinion on Dathan.   
  
Her mother's car was waiting outside the school building. Janelle was scowling in the back seat.   
  
"How was school?" her mother asked as Erica got in the passenger seat.  
  
"Actually pretty good," Erica said, surprised to realise she was telling the truth. Apart from the incident with Scarlet Blackthorn things had gone better than she'd expected. She even had a few potential friends. "I have a date tonight."  
  
"Date? *You*?" Janelle sounded appalled. Obviously things hadn't gone so well for her. "With who?"  
  
A vision of a face that should have belonged to an ancient god and emerald green eyes flashed in Erica's mind, making her dreamy all over. "Dathan Redfern."  
  
"That is just so totally and completely unfair." So Janelle had heard of Dathan too.  
Erica didn't care about Triana's warning anymore. It was just one date. What could happen on one date?  
  
* * * 


	6. Part 5

Part 5  
  
"Are you sure about this?"  
  
Dathan's lips pressed against Scarlet's, kissing her softly, unbuttoning her short black blouse. Scarlet sighed at her lover's touch, running her fingers through his soft long black hair. The melancholy sound of a Radiohead song moaned away in Scarlet's CD player. Burning candles created twisted, eerie shadows.   
  
"Of course I'm sure," Scarlet answered, unzipping Dathan's jeans, pushing them down.   
  
"Don't you have anything more - cheerful?" Dathan's nose wrinkled in distaste at her choice of music.   
  
"You picked the CD last time," she reminded him, annoyed. "Sex and Slipknot don't mix."  
  
Dathan studied her for several minutes. Then shrugged, tugging down her black skirt and throwing it off, along with his jeans. Scarlet smiled. He knew just how to turn her on.  
  
"Before I decide how to play with her, I need to be certain," she said, pulling off his boxer shorts, and sliding her hand up and down his already hard penis.   
  
"Why couldn't you just send Ridge, or Joab?" Dathan got out between moans. He yanked her panties down, slipping too fingers into her wet vagina. She fumbled with the catch on her bra, adding it to the pile of clothes on her bedroom floor.  
  
Her naked body pressed against his, their lips meeting, tongues exploring eagerly. She cried out softly as he thrust into her, deep as he could go.   
  
"Because Joab is about as interesting as a stick of wood," she answered. "You can get what we need." She arched her hips to meet his thrusts.  
  
"Plan later," Dathan told her. "Sex now."  
  
"Good enough for me."  
  
Scarlet was more than happy to let her body give into Dathan. He did something to her that nobody else had ever been able to give her before. It was more than his sensual touch, lips on her breasts, sucking her nipples, or he way he was starting to make her come. She couldn't ever put it into words. It was just *more*.  
  
She heard him crying our as he came, and seconds later she came herself, pushing herself against him, his arms tightening around her. Then it was over.  
  
They lay in silence for several minutes, holding each other, wrapped in Scarlet's deep purple sheets, the candlelight playing over their bodies.  
  
"There's more to Joab than you think," Dathan said with a smile.  
  
  
Scarlet's eyebrow raised a little. She tried to figure out, what if anything, he was trying to tell her. "What ever." She kissed him lightly,. "You'll do this, for me?"  
  
Dathan sighed and nodded. "For you, anything."  
  
Scarlet smiled. "That's what I like to hear."  
  
Dathan got out of the bed and started dressing again. Scarlet watched him in silence. She wasn't going to play with Erica until she was sure no vigilantes would come trying to protect her. Everything about the girl said human, but some humans had hidden secrets, a lesson she'd learned painfully.   
  
"And if it turns out we're wrong?" Dathan asked, pausing at the doorway.  
  
Scarlet frowned a little. Then she brightened. "We kill them before they kill us."  
  
* * * 


	7. Part 6

Part 6  
  
(Erica's Diary)  
  
Dear Diary,  
I can't believe it! First day at a new school and I even have a date! With a really gorgeous guy. Dathan Redfern. I just love the sound of that name. Unusual, exotic, sexy...  
  
Maybe the circumstances are somewhat weird. Did they actually *read* my notebook? His friends seem kind of scary and sullen, more the type of people Janelle would like rather than me.  
  
Of course, like I was thinking before, all my judgements could turn out to be extremely wrong. I've only just met them, after all.  
  
At least if it doesn't work out with Dathan, there are other possibilities. Cole's pretty cute, I guess. Celeste's okay, and Triana's nice, but kind of confusing.   
  
Why did they all go silent when Caleb came to the table at lunch? Why didn't Dathan bring the notebook back himself? Why should I be careful when I go out with him later?  
  
I wished I had some answers, but I didn't. I always liked mysteries. Maybe this was one I could look into.   
  
The other thing that's bugging me is this Scarlet Blackthorn person. I only ran into her once for less than five minutes. And everyone I met at lunch seems to act like it's worse than landing in front of the Gates of Hell.  
  
And if this is the type of girl that Dathan's interested in, what does he want with me?   
  
I could day dream all I want about how I could be the one for him really, but it's almost eerie.  
  
Doesn't mean I'm going to back out. Dathan's coming to get me in about half an hour. I hadn't even told him where I lived, but something was telling me he would just know where to find me.  
  
That's kind of scary, but also intriguing. I'd better stop musing about get myself presentable.   
  
I was going to add something else then, but I forgot what it was.  
  
* * *  
  
Half an hour later Erica was a bundle of nerves. She'd never actually been on a date before. She had never really been very good at talking to people,  
  
She had managed to convince her mother to go to a party some neighbours were having. Janelle was sulking downstairs. She'd been on the phone to her friends back home whining about how awful and dull her new town was. Obviously Erica wasn't going to get her our the house.  
  
She had showered and changed into a short sleeved black top with a sprinkling of stars across the front, purple trousers and short black boots. Her blonde hair hung loose to her shoulders.  
  
Did she look all right? He wouldn't think she was trying to look like Scarlet and Ara by dressing in dark clothing?  
  
The door bell was ringing. Oh God. This was it. He was here.  
  
"I'll get it!" she shouted, racing out her room and to the front door before Janelle could and say something embarrassing.   
  
She opened the door.   
  
* * * 


	8. Part 7

Part 7  
  
"What'd you guys think they're up to?" Celeste asked, flipping through a magazine. She, Cle and Triana were supposed to be working on a social studies project, but Celeste's mind kept drifting back to Scarlet, Dathan and whatever game they were playing with the new girl Erica.   
  
"What'd you mean?" Cole asked, browsing through Celeste's CD collection.   
  
Triana sighed heavily. "Sometimes Cole, you really have no idea what's going on, do you?" She pushed a lock of red hair behind her ear.  
  
"You mean the stuff at lunch with Caleb and the new girl?" Cole sat on the bed, shoving a pile of papers and books to one side.  
  
"Hey!" Celeste protested. "*Some* of us happen to care about our work, even if you don't."  
  
Cole just shrugged. "This is boring, anyway. What's the big deal?"  
  
"Oh come on!" Celeste snapped. "You don't think Dathan and Scarlet are plotting something evil?"  
  
Their reputations as bad, wicked Night Worlders wasn't really living up to typical standards by them helping some poor new girl. It just pointed out that Scarlet and Dathan were up to something.   
  
"You said she had a run in with Scarlet this morning, Celeste," Triana said. "What happened?"  
  
Celeste frowned. "Erica knocked into Scarlet, which pissed her off. Scarlet must have taken that notebook."  
  
"And Dathan is using it too...?" Cole left the question open ended.   
  
No one said anything, mainly because no one knew - apart from the obvious fact they were up to no good.   
  
"She doesn't know where Dathan's taking her," Triana told them. "I asked her in English this afternoon."  
  
"I don' think Dathan would be stupid enough to kill the girl on her first day," Cole said with slight contempt.  
  
Celeste and Triana exchanged glances. Celeste wondered vaguely if Cole had a crush on Dathan. It wasn't an unknown fact that people of both sexes flooded to get Dathan's attention.  
  
Celeste herself didn't get the fascination with him. So he was gorgeous, so what? That didn't automatically make him wonderful.   
  
But Cole did have a point. If they wanted to find things out about Erica, then she wasn't likely to turn up dead.  
  
"Maybe we should do some investigating of our own on this girl," she suggested finally.  
  
"Why?" Cole asked. "She's human."  
"She has black irises on her top," Triana pointed out.  
  
"Coincidence," Cole said dismissively.   
  
And he was probably right too. It wouldn't hurt to be absolutely sure.  
  
"Let's just keep our eye on her for now," Celeste said. "I guess she doesn't need to know unless it's necessary."  
  
"Which it isn't," Cole added. "Your probably just overreacting. Dathan and cronies will probably watch her tonight, and ditch her when they realise she's just plain human."  
  
Celeste and Triana exchanged glances again. She hoped for Erica's sake, that's all there was to it.   
  
* * * 


	9. Part 8

Part 8  
  
"And why are we doing this?" Joab didn't really see the point. According to Ara they were supposed to follow Dathan and some new girl Scarlet wanted to play with.  
  
Ara sighed impatiently. "Pay attention. I must have explained like, three times," she snapped.  
  
Joab kept his mouth shut. He wondered why he put up with Ara sometimes. Ara was pretty, but then again, so were lots of other girls. Scarlet must really want to know something about the new girl if she'd sent *Dathan* after her.  
  
They sat in Ara's car outside the girl's house, watching Dathan on the doorstep. He turned then, leading Erica away. He spotted the car and smirked at Ara and Joab, and continued walking. As far as Joab knew, Erica didn't see them.  
  
"So how come Scarlet's not doing this herself?"  
  
Ara frowned. "That's her business."  
  
Joab didn't say anything. Something had happened to Scarlet, something...bad. Bad enough to make her run to Dathan for comfort. It made Joab curious. He wanted to know what had happened to Scarlet, but no one would tell him. He would just have to trust Ara.  
  
* * *  
It wasn't right. Not right at all. Janelle scowled, watching Dathan Redfern flirting shamelessly with Erica.   
  
How had Erica ever managed to get a date with him, anyway? It was completely beyond her comprehension. Dathan and his crowd were more like her friends back home. The type of crowd she belong in, not Erica.  
  
Without thinking about what she was doing, Janelle grabbed her keys and followed them.  
  
* * *   
  
Joab frowned, spotting the girl leaving Erica's house. Was that someone they should be looking for? Someone who would be a threat to Scarlet?  
  
That was why they were there after all. If anything happened to Scarlet that they could have presented, then Dathan would kill them all. He had confided in Joab once how much the girl meant to him. The others might not understand, but he did.  
  
And he didn't particularly fancy the idea of Dathan torturing him if he didn't mention something that might be important.  
  
"Do you see her?" he said in a low voice to Ara.   
  
Ara nodded. "I see her." Her voice wasn't even quiet. She sighed heavily, glancing at him. "It's not like she can hear us."  
  
Joab didn't answer. Ara was muttering something under her breath as he started the car. "What?" he asked, slightly annoyed.  
  
"It's a cloaking spell so she won't see us," Ara answered.  
  
"Oh."  
  
They crawled along after the girl at snails pace. Joab began to wonder if they would do better getting out the car and walking. Beside him Ara sighed heavily.  
  
"This is going to be a *long* night."  
  
* * * 


	10. Part 9

Part 9  
  
"So where are we going?" Erica asked, following Dathan down the quiet dark streets.  
  
"We're going to a club," he told her. "It's called the Black Rose, it's only a few blocks from here."  
  
Erica nodded, wishing she'd warn a warmer jacket. It was still hot, but a chill was running over her, making her flesh break out in goosebumps.   
  
Something about Dathan's attitude and manor was beginning to disturb her. She had pretended not to notice the car watching her house. She remembered Trinia's warning to be careful.  
  
It wasn't like Dathan had actually *done* anything to her. He'd only been nice, questioning her a little *too* much, maybe, but she had thought nothing of it.  
  
She hated herself for not being able to make much conversation. He must be tired of her silence. "Are you okay?" he asked, as if reading her thoughts. "You've gone kind of quiet."  
  
Erica could feel heat flushing up her cheeks. She found herself glad it was dark and he wouldn't be able to see her. "Sorry, back home I was kind of a loner," she admitted. "I'm not really used to talking to people."  
  
  
"Oh. Well, we're here now. We'll get you talking to some people."  
  
Erica managed a polite smile. The "club" didn't exactly much of a club. It was an old house, large and dark. A window downstairs was lit briefly as she and Dathan walked up the path. Glancing around she could see the windows in the basement flashing reds, blues and purples.   
  
The door creaked open barely enough for her and Dathan to get inside. Erica was almost suspicious. "What, is this supposed to be a secret or something?" She smiled slightly.   
  
Dathan didn't smile back. "Yes, actually. It's private. Members only. You can't tell *anyone* you were here." He reached out lifting her chin, forcing her to meet his stunning green eyes. "Do I make myself clear?" Even in the gloom Erica could see his expression was deadly serious.   
  
"Yes, I won't tell anyone," she said carefully.  
  
Dathan nodded and looked her hand leading her down a flight of stairs. Erica glanced back up, shuddering as she thought she saw a gleam of eyes in the darkness.   
  
Pounding dance music filled her ears she Dathan opened another door and led her through. She found herself extremely glad he hadn't asked her to meet him here.  
  
The place was poorly lit, she could hardly see a thing through the twisted dark lights of the dance floor. Dark figures surrounded her on either side. She found herself almost clinging to Dathan.   
  
Dathan was leading her to a table where a single candle burned in the centre. "You remember Caleb and Ridge."  
  
Erica recalled them from school that afternoon. She hadn't seen the girls with them before. "That's Li, and that's Aida."  
  
Erica began to wonder if any of Dathan's friends had normal names. Then again, they didn't appear to be normal people, or what *she* perceived to be "normal people."  
  
Her nerves were singing. She had no idea of what to talk about with these people. They were all looking at her, Li and Aida frowning slightly.   
  
"Where's Scarlet?" Li asked finally.   
  
"Don't know," Dathan answered carelessly.  
  
"You broke up?" Ridge asked hopefully.  
  
Dathan's eyes flashed. "Hardly."  
  
Ridge sighed. "Damn."  
  
Caleb poked him. "As if you stood a chance!"  
  
"Like you would!"  
  
"This conversation is totally pointless because *neither* of you stand a chance with Scarlet," Dathan snapped.  
  
"Spoil sport," Ridge muttered.  
  
"Didn't you ever learn to *share*?" Molochi added.  
  
Their choice of conversation made Erica even more uncomfortable. One thing everyone she'd met today had managed to talk about had been the same thing - Scarlet Blackthorn.  
  
So what part did Erica have to play in this? All her excitement and admiration for Dathan had dwindled dramatically. She found herself hoping his friends wouldn't want to take her on board. She only had to get through one date. She could survive until the end of the night.  
  
Or at least she thought she could.  
  
* * * 


	11. Part 10

Part 10  
  
~Where are they going?~ Janelle was beginning to wonder if she had made a mistake as she followed Erica and Dathan. She had no idea where she was and how to get back.  
  
All there seemed to be was residential houses. And one dark creepy mansion. She watched Dathan knock briefly, the door opened, just long enough for him to get inside.  
  
Janelle frowned. What *was* that place? She could see brief flashes of coloured lights on the inside of the basement windows. An underground club or something? Squaring her shoulders Janelle started to walk up to the door.  
  
When a hand fell on her shoulders she turned around, almost screaming. She drew in a breath at the boy who stood behind her. He was tall, with pale skin, dressed in black from head to toe, even with long dark hair and black eyes to complete the picture.  
  
"Did I scare you? I'm sorry." His voice was kind of high pitched for a boy.  
  
Janelle recalled seeing him at school. He was a senior, and he knew Dathan.   
  
"What'd you want? Who *are* you?"  
  
"My name's Joab. What's yours?"  
  
~What a weird name~ Janelle thought. "I'm Janelle." She watched him closely.  
  
"What are you doing out here Janelle? This isn't a safe place for young girls."  
  
Janelle was offended. "I can take care of myself," she snapped, folding her arms. "I'm new in town and I was just looking around." Janelle deliberately glanced over her shoulder, wondering if there was another way into the house.  
  
"You don't want to go in that house." Joab's voice was almost hypnotic.   
  
"Yes I do." Janelle was more curious than ever. She wanted to go in just to see why she couldn't go in. And if it was dangerous...so what? She could take care of herself.  
  
"You're absolutely sure you want to go in?"  
  
Janelle opened her mouth to say something - then closed it again. That was weird. What had just happened? She had been certain she was here for a reason. Only now she had forgotten it. She looked at Joab, all she could see were those black eyes surrounding her, filling her. She was drowning in them...  
  
She blinked several times. "Uh - yeah. I want to go inside."  
  
Joab gave her a stunning smile. He held out a hand. Janelle took it and allowed him to lead her to the house. He banged on the door. A kid from her art class answered, glaring at them. "Who are you?"  
  
Joab sighed with impatience. "Joab Redfern. I'm Dathan's brother. Let me in, Ziggy."  
  
Janelle frowned, trying to remember why the name 'Dathan' was stirring strange feelings inside her. She'd heard it before somewhere. Why couldn't she *remember*?  
  
~Wait until I tell everyone I went to an underground club with a really hot senior~ she thought, vaguely smug.   
  
Ziggy scowled at them, but moved aside and let them past. Joab muttered something insulting under his breath. He led Janelle up the stairs. Janelle was confused. Wasn't the club in the basement? They were in a private bedroom. Joab closed the curtains.  
  
~Does he want to have sex with me or something~ Janelle thought, starting to get excited.   
  
Joab took her hand again and led her to the bed. She sat down.   
  
"Wait here a minute." He headed to the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Janelle asked, feeling her eyelids starting to droop. She was sleepy.  
  
"I'll be back in a sec." Her last image was of Joab leaving the room before she fell into a sea of black.  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Joab didn't bother locking the door. He knew Janelle wasn't going to wake up. ~Stupid kid~ he thought as he went back downstairs. From his post at the door Ziggy glared furiously at him as he went down to the basement,  
  
He made his way across the dance floor to the table where Dathan sat with Erica, Caleb and Ridge, and some hot Night World girls whose names he couldn't remember.  
  
"Hey Joab!"  
  
"Hi Joab!"  
  
Caleb and Ridge waved at him, grinning. Joab waved back. Dathan, in the middle of the girls, smiled at him.  
  
"You don't know what you've been missing." His smile was unpleasant. Joab noticed Erica shuddering.   
  
~We need to talk~ he spoke to Dathan's mind. ~Not here. Upstairs.~  
  
Dathan frowned. ~Trouble?~  
  
Joab shrugged. ~I'm not sure.~  
  
Dathan sighed and stood up with a heavy sigh. There were sounds of protest from the Night World girls. "*Dathan*," they whined.   
  
"Relax," Ridge said dismissively, moving to take Dathan's place.   
  
"Yeah, we'll take care of you," Caleb added.  
  
"Excuse me ladies, I have some business to take care of." Dathan was always the gentleman. Joab's eyes rolled as he led Dathan to the room he'd put Janelle ion.   
  
Dathan shrugged. "Ooh, she's scary."  
  
Joab held his patience. "She was following you and Erica. All the way to the club."  
  
Dathan's fingers ran over the girl's slender white throat. He started to unbutton her black blouse. Joab grabbed his hand. "No."  
  
Dathan just looked at him. "She'll never have to know."  
  
Joab shook his head. "No," he said again.  
  
Dathan sighed. "Spoil sport."  
  
Joab glared at him. Sometimes he couldn't figure out what was going through his brother's mind, or why they were even related.   
  
"So is she a threat, do you think?"  
  
Joab shrugged. "I'm not sure."  
  
Dathan smiled, this time revealing his deadly gangs. He sat on the bed and lifted Janelle up. "Let's just kill her anyway. Just to be on the safe side."  
  
He dug his teeth into the soft flesh of the girl's neck. At the smell of the blood Joab felt his own fangs stirring. He joined his brother and fed.  
  
* * * 


	12. Part 11

Part 11  
  
Scarlet paced around the room, hating not knowing what was going on. She hadn't heard any word from Dathan, Joab or Ara. She was too keyed up to sit and watch TV or even do homework or anything. Loud music screamed from her stereo, meant to take her mind of the plan.  
  
It wasn't helping that she *wanted* something to happen. The sooner she knew for sure the better.  
  
"SCARLET! PHONE!" someone was shouting from downstairs.   
  
Scarlet grabbed her phone. "Anything?"  
  
"We're not sure," Ara's voice said. "Joab saw this girl following Erica and Dathan to the club."  
  
"Have you dealt with her?" Scarlet frowned.   
  
"Joab and Dathan are dealing with her as we weak. Caleb and Ridge are watching Erica." There was a pause then Scarlet heard Dathan whispering softly to Ara.  
  
"You *what?*" she snapped when she worked out what he was talking about. "Dathan!"  
  
"Relax, babe," Dathan drawled. "There was a problem, and Joab and I took care of it."  
  
Scarlet couldn't believe it. She had wanted to be extra careful before she played with Erica in case she made a mistake. Now this. She cursed Dathan mentally. As much as she loved him, he could really be an asshole sometimes.  
  
"Tell Joab to get his ass over here right now," she snapped angrily. "The next time *consult* me before you do something so fucking stupid!"  
  
"Watch it," Dathan's tone was cold and deadly. "Just remember if it wasn't for me you'd be dead by now. Tatania would have had her way with you."  
  
Scarlet shuddered at the name, staring at the phone in her hand. She slowly put it back in the cradle, trying to push away the memories that wanted to emerge.   
  
~Damn you, Dathan~ she thought angrily, pushing away tears that were trying to escape.  
  
There was a knock on her door. "Scarlet?" It was Joab's voice. How had he gotten here so fast?   
  
He came inside and wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug. Scarlet found herself even more surprised he was actually *comforting* her. Just holding her. Maybe there was more to him than she'd thought.  
She sniffled. "Thanks."  
  
"Don't mention it. Are you okay?"  
  
Scarlet sniffled again and pulled away. "I'm fine." She looked at him.   
  
He smiled blandly. "It dies with me."  
  
Scarlet eyed him. He was a very strange person. "What happened?"  
  
Joab sighed and told her. "I was just planning on blanking the kid and taking her home."  
  
"But as I put Dathan in charge you thought you should tell him."  
Joab nodded. "And now he might have given us even more of a problem."  
  
Scarlet eyed him again. "You fed on her too."  
  
He looked away. Scarlet sighed with impatience. "Great," she muttered, irritated. "What did you do with the body?"  
  
"We haven't done anything with it yet, it's still in the bedroom at the club house," Joab told her. "I said we had to talk to you before we did anything with it."  
  
Scarlet started pacing again. Oh, this was a mess. The kid could be totally innocent. Just a girl who had a crush on Dathan. Or she could have been a vampire hunter stalking him.  
  
"I don't think she was a hunter," Joab said. "I was just being cautious."  
  
"Which is what I asked. I know. You didn't need to kill her right off."  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence between them, filled by Scarlet's screaming music. Joab turned it off. "What are we going to do?"  
  
* * * 


	13. Part 12

Note: To answer Quiterie's question, I did sent the prologue to both the Night World writings and Twilight Tales lists. All parts of the story can also be found at http://www.zyworld.com/Tania_Harman/AllorNothing.htm   
  
  
Part 12  
  
Erica felt an overwhelming rush of relief when Dathan came back announcing it was time to go. There were once again sounds of protest from Li and Aida. Dathan just flashed them one of his killer smiles.  
  
"Ridge and Caleb will take care of you." He took Erica's hand and led her out the club, back up the stairs and out the house.  
  
He walked Erica home in silence, his expression distant. Erica felt a slight a slight disappointment. This hadn't been the date of her dreams as she had been hoping it would be.  
  
He was just as creepy as Scarlet. Maybe they did belong together. She tried to hide a sigh of relief when they arrived back at her house. "Well, that was - "  
  
"Rather dull, I know," Dathan said with a sigh of his own. "Maybe I should have taken you somewhere else."  
  
~Less dark and creepy?~ Erica thought. "I'm not much on conversation," she admitted.  
  
"That unexpected interruption was rather irritating as well." Dathan was clearly annoyed with it.   
  
Erica eyed him suspicious. That had been kind of weird. She wondered where Dathan and Joab had gone. "Thanks anyway." Erica held her breath. Was he going to kill her? She wasn't sure if she wanted him to or not.   
  
If they had been somewhere else, maybe at a fancy restaurant, where there had been a soft dreamy atmosphere, dreamy music, candles on the table, low lighting,....  
  
She would have been insisting, almost silently *begging* for a kiss.  
  
But after all the strange events of tonight....  
  
Seeing Dathan standing there framed by the moonlight, his green cat eyes sparkling, once again he suddenly looked incredibly appealing to her. Dark and mysterious, unknowable. (Erica wondered if she was drooling.)  
  
Dathan bent down and kissed her formally on the cheek. "Bye." He walked off into the starlit night.  
  
Erica sighed. She pushed on the door handle. The door swung open. The hallway was dark. "Janelle?" she called out.  
  
Janelle didn't answer. The house was sill in darkness. "Mom?"  
  
No answer. Mom must still be out. She wondered where Janelle was. Janelle wasn't in her room. Erica frowned, feeling a shiver run through her. Everyone was probably fine. She was overreacting. Mom must still be at that party. After all, Erica was the one who had convinced her to go. Janelle had probably made friends and gone out.  
  
Erica got undressed, changed for bed and took out her diary.  
* * *  
(Erica's diary)  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
Well, what can I say? For starters, the dream date I had hoped for was just...well...creepy and weird.  
  
Dathan didn't take me to some dreamy restaurant. (If he did I would have died from embarrassment being so underdressed.) We went to some dark basement club. His friends were there, which didn't make anything easier.  
  
All Aida and Li did was eye me as if I was something vile, like a rat or some other sort of vermin. Something that needed to be stamped out right away.  
  
They asked rather a *lot* of personal questions. I didn't like that. They wouldn't answer hardly anything I asked them. Caleb and Ridge weren't much help, they were just lewd and...ugh. Typical men.  
  
Maybe wanting to get into a crowd like that was a really bad idea. If Celeste and Triana will still speak with me, I think I'd be safer with them.  
  
Dathan may be gorgeous, but he's strange, and so are the rest of his friends. They seem almost *dangerous.* Everything's just a little *too* weird with them.  
  
I'm going to bed. Maybe things will make sense in the morning.  
  
* * * 


	14. Part 13

Part 13  
  
Erica woke the to the ringing of the alarm clock early the next morning. She knew Celeste and Triana were likely to be asking about her disappointing date with Dathan.   
  
Maybe she needed to focus on someone who was more her type. She wasn't even sure what her type was. Back in Carolina she had been an outcast, a nobody, no boy had ever even looked at her like they were trying to figure out what she must be like.   
  
No one had ever done that. It was only her second day here and she had no idea if Celeste and Triana really wanted to be her friends or whether they were just trying to avoid getting...  
  
What?  
  
Why was everyone so afraid of Scarlet Blackthorn? It was something that was going to bug her until she knew the answer.   
  
Erica sighed as she washed and dressed. Hadn't she wanted a more interesting life? Well, yes, she thought as she brushed her hair. ~There's a difference between a more interesting life and a *dangerous* one.~   
  
Considering Dathan's weird and scary friends, maybe it would be safer if she just stayed away from that crowd all together.  
  
When Erica arrived in the kitchen her mother was pacing up and down, a worried look on her face.  
  
"What's wrong?" Erica asked, helping herself to two piece of ready-made toast and butter.  
  
"Do you know if your sister went out last night?" her mother asked,  
  
Erica remembered Janelle not being around when she'd come home last night. It hadn't been that late, only about eleven. "No," she answered. "Maybe she stayed at a friend's house and forgot to call."  
  
It sounded like the type of irresponsible thing Janelle would do, go out without letting anyone know where she was.   
  
"I guess, maybe." Her mother sounded vague and distant.  
  
Erica wondered what else to say. It was no secret she couldn't stand Janelle anymore than Janelle could stand her. It would serve her right if something had happened to her,  
  
Erica's mother dropped her off outside the school building. As Erica headed inside the school building the first person she saw was Scarlet Blackthorn and her friend Ara. They seemed to be arguing about something.  
  
Scarlet glared at her. "What are you looking at?" she snapped.  
  
Erica didn't bother replying and walked away towards her locker. Cole fell into step with her. "Do anything interesting last night?"  
  
Erica wondered if that was supposed to mean something. "Not really," she admitted, not pleased to know she was actually telling the truth.  
  
"I heard you had a date with Dathan Redfern," Cole said casually.  
  
Was there anyone in school who *didn't* actually know she had a date with Dathan last night. "Nothing happened," she said with a shrug. "He's not really my type."  
  
Cole actually smiled. "Well that's a relief."  
  
Erica was confused. Was he jealous or something? She didn't know how to reply o that. "Mm," was all she could think of to say.  
  
"See you in English." Cole waved and hurried off.   
  
How come everyone was so interested? She was careful to avoid Scarlet when they passed. Scarlet just smirked smugly at her. Erica felt as if she were a hamster in a maze with no idea which way to go. What the hell was going on?  
  
* * * 


	15. Part 14

Author's notes: to answer Dianna's question, it's not finished yet, but will be eventually.   
  
Part 14  
  
So far, so good. No one had figured out what had happened and no one had even noticed that the kid was missing. Even Scarlet knew they wouldn't be able to keep pretending that nothing had happened.  
  
She, for once, had an alibi, at least, and people who could prove her whereabouts. Dathan's overreaction had thrown them all completely. He wasn't speaking to her, for some reason she wasn't sure why.  
  
Joab was clearly tired of being the gofer between them. Ara was whining. Erica herself was protectively surrounded by the Daybreakers, no longer drooling over Dathan.  
  
That was a relief on Scarlet's part. Something needed to be done about this irritating situation. Caleb and Ridge weren't helping at all. They were just arsing around, being their usual stupid selves.  
  
"We could just kill the other two," Ara suggested at lunch. "Erica and her mother. Then brainwash the cops."  
  
"And what about everyone else, those damned Daybreakers won't be so easy. Sooner or later, someone's going to figure out the truth," Scarlet said with a scowl.  
  
She and Ara sat at a secluded table outside, rather than face the hoards of cattle in the cafeteria. It was a drizzling, miserable day, but Scarlet wasn't really bothered, considering how perfectly it matched her mood.  
  
She should have known something would go wrong. All she Had asked was they be careful when deciding whether or not Erica would be a suitable toy.   
  
And they couldn't even do *that* right? She dreaded the thought of what the Daybreakers would do when they found out....  
  
"What's the matter with you?" Ara demanded suddenly.   
  
Scarlet blinked, looking at her. "Huh?"  
  
"You've been weirding out like that a lot lately. You never used to be so cautious when we played with the human vermin, what happened?" Ara looked like she didn't know whether to be concerned or angry.  
  
Scarlet didn't say anything. Ara was her friend, and Scarlet knew she was just trying to help. Yet she still couldn't bring herself to talk to anyone about what had happened to her. She shook her head. "I can't talk about it." Her voice was small.  
  
Ara threw her hands up in - dispair? Annoyance? A combination of both? "I give it up! I've tried. You're the one who's making things difficult." She grabbed her purse and stormed off.   
  
Scarlet sighed heavily. Who was she trying to kid? Ara was right. Her shoulders straightened. So they'd made a little mistake. So what? That was the way things went. She'd had a bad experience, just needed to put it behind her and move on.  
  
  
  
She was a *Night* *Person*. Not afraid of wimpy little Daybreakers. It was Erica's fault, after all. She'd started it all by being dumb and careless.   
  
Cats played with mice. Vampires played with humans.  
  
All Scarlet needed was a clear head. Maybe the was something good about drizzly weather after all. Now came the fun part. Finding Dathan and making up.  
  
* * * 


	16. Part 15

Part 15  
  
"Did she tell you anything?" Celeste asked Cole at break period that morning.  
  
"She says nothing happened," Cole said, sounding pleased. "I don't know if she's happy about it or not."  
  
Celeste felt an overwhelming rush of relief that almost surprised her. Then again, maybe she should be pleased. Erica was only human, she shouldn't be subjected to torture by Night People like Scarlet and Dathan.  
  
She'd be much safer with her, Cole and Triana. She still had no need to know of anything out the ordinary.  
  
"Something happened last night," Aida Weald said as she joined Celeste and Cole. "That forced both Dathan and Joab to leave."  
  
Celeste frowned. Aida was their Night Worlds spy who kept them nicely informed of all the Night People's dealings. And from the sound of this, they were definitely up to something.  
  
"What'd you mean?" Celeste asked.   
  
Aida shrugged. "Something to with the new girl and some game Scarlet and Ara are plotting."  
  
Celeste and Cole exchanged glances. Normally the Night People weren't so cautious, they did what they wanted when they wanted and nobody stopped them. So what was so special about Erica that made them take such caution?  
  
At first Celeste had thought it was to do with whether or not Erica was human because she had black iris on her top. She had decided that it would be nothing more than coincidence. Maybe they needed to take a closer look at Erica.  
  
"Do me a favour? See what you can find out about this girl - and what Joab and Dathan were doing last night?" Celeste asked.  
  
Aida nodded. "I gotta go." She headed off, noticing Caleb and Ridge heading down the hall. Without Dathan or Joab. That was rare, Obviously Aida didn't want to be seen with her and Cole.   
  
Not that Celeste blamed her. If she was caught, her cover was blown and she was most likely to be killed.   
  
"Even if Scarlet and Ara are up to something," Cole said, speaking for the first time in a while. "What exactly can we do?"  
Celeste wondered what the matter with him was. How'd he ever ended up in Circle Daybreak was a mystery to her.  
  
Cole just shrugged. "I don't want to start a war."  
  
Before Celeste could ask what he meant the bell rang and Cole disappeared into the mass of students heading for their next class. Maybe she could talk to Triana about him. She couldn't figure him out herself.  
  
With a sigh Celeste headed off for her own class.  
  
* * * 


	17. Part 16

Part 16  
  
Aida wondered why she bothered something. She wasn't interesting in the pitiful little human Erica, not understanding the sudden fascination with her.  
  
So Scarlet was pissed off because the little human girl had foolishly knocked into her, and it had started something of an obsession. The obsession had now drifted from her to the Daybreakers, convincing themselves they needed to save her before Scarlet did something to her.  
  
Dathan and Joab had dome something the previous night that had thrown everything completely off balance.   
  
"You don't look too pleased."   
  
Aida glared at Joab, hating the way he just sneaked up on people, appearing as if out of nowhere. "No, I'm not pleased," she snapped. "Am I the only one who thinks this thing with the new girl is totally ridiculous?"  
  
Joab was silent for a moment. "No, you're not, but you know what Scarlet at Dathan are like when they want something," he said with a roll of his endless black eyes.  
  
Aida studied him. She could never tell where this guy was coming from. One minute he was as psychotic as his brother...the next he was vague and distant. "What happened last night?" she asked.  
  
Joab frowned. "This kid was following Erica and Dathan. Scarlet told me and Ara to watch out for anything unusual. I pointed her out to Dathan."  
  
Aida sighed "And you guys killed her." A dead kid. Just great. No wonder things were so heated up between Scarlet and Dathan. Celeste was going to freak.  
  
"You two need to lighten up, big time," Scarlet and Dathan joined them, arms around each other. Obviously, they had made up.  
  
Joab eyed them curiously. "So..."  
  
"So we deal and get on with the plan," Scarlet said smugly. "Just leave everything to me." She glanced over at Aida and Joab. "You two are still on board, right?"  
  
Aida just nodded. Joab shrugged. Scarlet turned in Dathan's arms and pulled Joab towards her. "I want you to do something for me."  
  
Joab sighed. "Now what?" After about five minutes he nodded. Then walked away.  
  
Aida exchanged a look with Dathan, who was just as confused as she was to what Scarlet thought she was doing. He was smart enough not to say anything.  
  
"You just keep those stupid Daybreakers thinking that you're on their side," Scarlet told Aida. She waved, and headed off to class with Dathan.  
  
Aida trudged off to her own class, wondering again why she bothered.  
  
* * *  
  
A bad feeling had been plaguing Erica all day. People were still being reasonably friendly. She had lunch with Triana and Celeste. Caleb and Ridge waved to her whenever they passed in the halls. She managed to wave back with a slight smile. She noticed two girls from the club - Li and Aida seemed to be hanging around a bit more.  
  
But the bad feeling wasn't much in relation to all these strange people watching her. It was like a gnawing deep inside her. It had been there ever since that morning, when she had found out Janelle hadn't come home.  
  
She always told herself she wouldn't care of something happened to Janelle, but the more she thought and worried, the more became convinced something *had* happened. Janelle had had a crush on Dathan like most girls seemed to. What if Janelle had followed her to that creepy club?  
  
Would they...? But Janelle was only a kid! Completely harmless, no matter how freaky she tried to look.   
  
It was during her last class all her worst fears were confirmed when two police officers stepped in and took her out. Erica followed with a lump in her stomach, convinced this wasn't really happening. It was all too - Hollywoodish - for her liking.  
  
Her mother was at home when the cops took her back to her house, sobbing in some neighbour's arms. And Erica knew for sure.  
  
Janelle was dead.  
  
"What happened?" she asked softly.  
  
"We found the body this morning," one cop told her gently. "We're not exactly sure what happened, we're all working together to try and find the people that did this."  
  
Erica thought about the strange incident when Joab had appeared at the club and left with Dathan, they'd gone away and Dathan had come back slightly - different. Could he and Joab have...? Why *would* they?  
  
Three times over she told about five different people what she had done the night before. Gone out with some new friends. Nothing unusual had happened.  
  
The last thing she wanted was Scarlet on her case for getting Dathan in trouble with the police. She was relieved when she was finally able to escape from her room. Only her relief was short lived when the phone rang.  
  
Instinct had told her she didn't want to answer it. But the phone just rang and rang. The caller wasn't going to hang up. Erica snatched up the receiver. "Yes?"  
  
"Erica? This is Scarlet Blackthorn?"  
  
The floor seemed to be opening up in front of Erica's feet. She didn't even think about how Scarlet had managed to get her phone number. A cold sense of dread was seeping over her. "What?"  
  
"There are some things we need to talk about. The sooner we get it cleared up, the better. Come over to my house as soon as you can. It's the large mansion on Mandrake Road, number 666. Not hard to miss." Before Erica could say yes or no Scarlet had hung up.  
  
Scarlet lived at number 666. In any other circumstance, Erica might have laughed at that. As stupid as it probably was, Erica already knew she was going.  
  
* * * 


	18. Part 17

Part 17  
  
Erica refused to acknowledge the pit opening up inside her as she made her way to Scarlet's house. She frowned, trying to ignore the voices screaming inside her that she should have brought someone - Celeste or Triana - along with her.  
  
Maybe it was a good thing Scarlet wanted to talk to her. There was nothing worse than getting off on the wrong foot with a bully.   
  
She felt a stab of envy as she reached Scarlet's gigantic mansion. Huge white marble pillars lined the driveway where a sleek red Ferrari sat. A large fountain that looked like an ice sculpture of two swans sprouted water, sparking like diamonds. What wouldn't she do to get the money to afford a place like this?  
  
She rang the doorbell. A maid in a crisp black and white uniform answered.  
  
"Um...I'm supposed to be meeting Scarlet Blackthorn."  
  
"Miss Scarlet's room is the third door on the second floor."  
  
Erica went into the house, her sneakers squeaking on the marble floor. Valuable paintings, Chinese vases, expensive statues were everywhere Erica turned.   
  
She tried to imagine herself coming home everyday to a place like this. The glamour and glitz of it all probably wore off after a while.  
  
She headed up the wide carpeted staircase 9marble as well, of course) and found the third set of double doors on the second floor. Some screaming rock music was coming from inside. She knocked on the door, wondering how Scarlet would hear her over the racket. But within about ten seconds Scarlet answered.  
  
"Come on in."  
  
Erica didn't like the way she said that, nor did she like the way Scarlet smirked at her. It seemed almost...predatory. A thought struck her and she wondered if Scarlet knew about Janelle's murder. She decided not to mention it unless Scarlet did.  
  
Scarlet's room was decorated in dark colours, reds, blacks, purples, with the occasional flashes of golds and silver. Erica suppressed a shudder as Scarlet went to the CD player. She pushed a button and the screaming rock music stopped. She pushed another button and the room filled with some sort of whiny chanting music.  
  
Erica felt as if her skin were crawling. She found herself once again wishing she could think of something to say. "You...um...said there were things we needed to talk about," she got past the lump forming in her throat, wishing her heart would stop pounding.  
  
"It seems we've had some...issues...that have made us look at one another different than we should." Scarlet sounded very smug and confident. So much surer of herself than Erica ever felt she could be.  
  
"What...um...you mean the stuff with Dathan?" Erica asked. She had wondered why, if Dathan already had a girlfriend, he wanted to take her out. Something had gone hideously wrong, and somehow, Janelle had died.  
  
"Yes, I suppose that could be one thing. Maybe the club was a bit too...freaky. Some people react that way when they're first introduced, but we're not that bad." Scarlet smiled, her attempt to be friendly was just making Erica nervous and even more uncomfortable.  
  
It almost seemed to her that Scarlet was actually *hitting* on her, maybe even trying to seduce her? Then again, nobody had ever hit on Erica before, maybe she was just overreacting because she was scared and out of her element.  
  
"I've never been to any place like that before," Erica said in a small voice.  
  
"Most people don't get to go." Scarlet smirked. "It's a very select few you ever come across it, and survive."  
  
~Janelle didn't survive~ Erica though, watching Scarlet's eyes twinkle in the darkness. She seemed almost...*inhuman*. She remembered eyes twinkling that night in the darkness in the club.  
  
How scared she'd been. How nobody would answer any questions she asked, but how they constantly asked *her* questions....  
  
God, what *were* those people? *People* probably wasn't even the right ford for them...  
  
Had Scarlet brought Erica here to...to *eat* her? Erica was starting to panic. If *only* she'd listened to those instincts that had told her this was a bad, bad idea...  
  
Typically, she had thought she'd be fine. How utterly stupid of her.   
  
Scarlet had moved her over to the bed, her eyes glittering ferociously, her teeth extending to delicate, curving points.  
  
~Oh my God~ Erica thought. ~She's a...a...~  
  
"Cooperate, and you won't feel a thing." Scarlet's cool hands rested on either side of Erica's pale throat, pushing her head slightly to one side. Erica could feel cold tears slipping down her cheeks. ~I'm going to die...~  
  
But as Scarlet's fangs slid into her flesh Erica didn't die. Nor did she feel unbearable agony. Something else happened.  
  
* * * 


	19. Part 18

Part 18  
  
Scarlet didn't understand. Normally when she felt all she felt was a warm rush when her teeth pierced the victim's skin and the blood rushed into her mouth. This time it was different. She had never experienced anything like it. It was like being trapped in a nuclear explosion. There was white everywhere. Some sort of light illuminating...  
  
*What?* Scarlet didn't...she wanted *out* of this so badly. At the same time she could feel Erica's panic, her fear. She didn't know what was going on anymore than Scarlet did.  
  
As well as shock, she got the impression of...grief. Guilt. Confusion. They were all Erica's feelings. So why the hell was *she* experiencing them? She was inside Erica's *mind*.   
  
Pictures were rushing at her. Erica's memories. A clear picture of Dathan framed as some sort of dark and alluring god flew at her, another flash of white light, and he was surrounded by darkness, now more of an evil creature. Herself as an Ice Queen, an elegant I'm-better-than-you-sneer on her face.  
  
But if she was in Erica's mind, did that mean...shit. She didn't *want* Erica in her mind, knowing her deepest, darkest thoughts and secrets, seeing her memories, what had happened to her...  
  
~What the hell is going on?~ Was the thought that kept screaming round both their minds. A vague memory of Scarlet's was stirring. She tried to push it away before it could deepen and Erica could explore it.  
  
Too late.  
  
Soul...no. NO! *NO!* Not like this. Not...not with a *girl*. Scarlet dragged her fangs out of Erica's neck and pushed her away. They were thrown out of the warm light into harsh cold reality.  
  
Erica's hand gingerly went to her neck. Scarlet stood, backing away from Erica.  
"Get out," she whispered, trying to keep the fear out of her mouth.  
  
Erica stood, shaking slightly. She made as if to leave, then stopped. "Wait. What *was* that thing? You called it something."  
  
"I didn't call it *anything*!" Scarlet shouted. "*Go!*"  
  
Erica practically ran out of the door. Scarlet tried to figure out what had gone wrong. Nothing like that had ever happened to her when she'd fed previously.  
  
It just *couldn't* be soulmates. It was a fluke. Maybe some sort of a protection spell that those stupid Daybreakers had out on Erica.  
  
~Lousy protection spell~ her inner voice whispered. ~What type of protection spell allows you to see directly into someone's mind?~  
  
Soulmates didn't exist. It was just some stupid story Circle Daybreak were making up to explain why all some of the Night People were fucking up, like vampires falling for vampire hunters.   
  
Or maybe it was a spell Ara had done to make sure once and for all that Erica was human. Now that had finally been established it had proven they couldn't play with her.  
  
Scarlet dreaded the thought of being struck by that lightening again. Erica needed killing.  
  
Besides, Scarlet was in love with *Dathan*. They were perfect for each other. There were plenty of perfectly rational explanations for what had happened.  
  
How silly of her to jump to conclusions like that.  
  
She and Erica were *not* soulmates.  
  
* * * 


	20. Part 19

Part 19  
  
Erica ran out of Scarlet's house, wanting to get as far away from Scarlet as possible. What *was* that? She tried not to think about the strange light, but of course, the more she tried *not* to think about it, the more it hammered around her mind,  
  
Scarlet was obviously going to pretend that it had never happened. She had been *terrified*.  
  
She'd called it something. Something to do with the soul. Erica didn't know what to think. Maybe she could talk to somebody. She didn't know where Celeste or Triana lived.  
  
She didn't feel like going home and having to deal with her mother. She realised how selfish that sounded, but wasn't in the mood to care. She had problems of her own.  
  
It had almost been like being inside another world, being in someone else's mind. Erica couldn't even begin to describe what that had been like. Something had happened to Scarlet...something...bad that she was afraid of other people finding out.  
  
Something to do with a girl named Tatania.   
  
She shook her head. At least now she knew why Dathan and his friends had seemed creepy and scary. If Scarlet wasn't human...then none of them must be either.  
  
Was this what Celeste and her friends had been trying to warn her about?  
  
"You look like you've just seen a ghost."  
  
Erica looked up to see Triana coming out of a 7-Eleven. "I think I've seen something worse," Erica said dryly. Her hand reached up to her neck again. There was no blood when she looked at her fingers. No sign to show she had been bitten by a...by a...*vampire*. Scarlet was a *vampire* and had actually drunk her blood.  
  
"What happened?" Triana asked, frowning, eyes narrowing as she watched Erica touch her neck.  
  
"Um...I need too talk to someone but not out here." If anyone passing by heard, then they would think she was crazy. But if she told Triana who was there to say Triana wouldn't think she was crazy?  
  
"I don't exactly want to go home," she admitted in a small voice.  
  
"Okay. Come on, we can go to my house."  
  
Erica followed Triana down the quiet streets. The sun was just starting to set, bleeding a rosy red across the horizon in the distance...  
  
Erica suppressed a shudder, not wanting to think about blood.  
  
Triana's house was almost the same design as Erica's, not a giant mansion like Scarlet's. Nice and ordinary, which she found extremely comforting.   
  
Triana's room was decorated in shades of pale green with a lot of leafy trailing vine patterns. It had an almost calming effect.  
  
"Why don't you tell me what happened?" Triana said, dropping her bag from the 7-Eleven on her desk. She put a Jewel CD in the stereo and turned it up. A lot more comforting that Scarlet's freaky music. "I don't want my brother to overhear," she said in explanation.  
  
Erica told her everything. From her suspicions about Dathan and Joab to the night before, to learning Janelle was dead, to Scarlet's phone call, and what happened when she went to Scarlet's house.  
  
Triana listened carefully. Her eyebrows almost shot out of her head when Erica described what had happened when Scarlet fed on her.  
  
"She started to call it something, then she freaked and threw me out," Erica finished.  
  
"Soul*mates*?" Triana asked, her surprise obvious. "Did she say *soulmates*?"  
  
"Well, she didn't actually *say* it, she sort of thought it, but the connection broke before I could find out anymore." She slumped back in the small arm chair. Well Triana wasn't screaming she was insane at least. "What's soulmates?"  
  
Triana opened her mouth, then closed it, looking doubtful. She obviously knew something she wasn't sure if she wanted to tell Erica or not.  
  
Erica sighed. "If you won't tell me then I'll just ask Celeste tomorrow."  
  
It was Triana's turn to sigh. "All right, all right," she said grudgingly. "It's called the Night World."  
  
So Erica listened as Triana explained about the hidden society of vampires, witches, and shapeshifters who lived in secret amongst the humans. About the war going on between them and Triana's group, Circle Daybreak, an organisation like the Night World, only they were the *good* guys.  
  
"When you first came you wore a top with black flowers," Triana said. "Black flowers are Night World symbols. We wear them to identify ourselves to each other."  
  
"That's why Scarlet sent Dathan to spy on me when he found my notebook?" Erica asked. It was all starting to make some sort of sense now. That didn't mean it was easy to deal with.  
  
Scarlet had stolen one of her notebooks when Erica had bumped into her that first morning. They had wanted to play with her, hunt her, or whatever, only Janelle must have followed her and Dathan and they had killed *her* instead.  
  
"How come Joab was following me and Dathan to the club?" Erica asked. That didn't make sense to her. Why would Scarlet send Dathan to spy on her, then send Joab to follow as a chaperone?  
  
  
  
Triana shrugged. "This isn't the first time they've done this. They've never been so...cautious before. I'm guessing only Scarlet knows the answer to that."  
  
~Great~ Erica thought moodily. Now that she and Scarlet had discovered this *soulmate* thing, what would Scarlet do about her game now?  
  
"You never told me what *soulmates* is," she reminded Triana.  
  
Triana smiled faintly. "Soulmates is something that happens to Night People, it's the principle that there's only one true love for each person on earth, and when you meet that person you know they're the one for you. They could be totally wrong for you, but you know you'll never be the same without them. It's supposed to be the best thing that can happen to you."  
  
It certainly wasn't the best thing that had happened to Erica. "I'm not sure Scarlet sees it that way," she snorted.   
  
Triana chuckled. "I doubt it Dathan will either."  
  
Erica didn't bother hiding her shudder. This soulmate thing was a problem. Scarlet already had a *boyfriend*. And some cosmic force nobody understood had put her with Erica? Were they really supposed to be perfect for each other?  
  
Erica had never even been out with a boy (apart from that night's disastrous date with Dathan)let alone a *girl*. She wasn't sure if this soulmate thing thrilled her or terrified her.   
  
"And for the standard cliché," she said dryly. "*Now* what do we do?"  
  
* * * 


	21. Part 20

Part 20  
  
Again. She was at it again? Did that stupid bitch never learn? Someone had been smart enough to put two and two together and finally figure out what had happened.  
  
Another innocent human as well. Who had guessed too late what Scarlet Blackthorn and her stupid friends really were.   
  
Tatania shook her head with disgust. This little human girl Erica probably had no idea what she was really dealing with. According to the Circle Daybreak agent that had called from the high school, a soulmate connection had been discovered between Scarlet and the girl.  
  
Scarlet was in denial, and the human didn't know if she was coming or going.  
  
The human needed her head screwing on straight. Once she learned who her monstrous *soulmate* really was...  
  
Scarlet had probably done a good job of convincing her friends that Tatania was the bad guy. If she'd talked at all, that was, Tatania thought with a smirk.  
  
She couldn't wait to see the look on Scarlet's face when she found out Tatania was back in town. She'd never forgotten the reason why she despised Scarlet so much.  
  
All her little sister had wanted was to be popular, like so many kids, she'd wanted to be part of the 'in crowd', hang out with the gorgeous, exciting rich kids.  
  
She refused to hang out with big sister Tania's group, no way. Tatania shook her head sadly, never forgetting the bitterness and anger she'd felt coming home that afternoon...police swarming the house...Sophia's naked, blood covered body sprawled on the couch like a broken doll...  
  
Scarlet and her bitch friends *laughing* the following day...  
  
The memory was still as fresh as an open wound in Scarlet's mind. Scarlet would *pay* for what she had done.  
  
Revenge was all that had mattered to her. The kidnapping and torture hadn't been as hard as she'd expected, it had been surprisingly enjoyable, and easy - everyone knew what hurt vampires.   
  
Tatania didn't know who else was involved in the actual *murder* but knew Scarlet was the reason why it had happened. Once Scarlet had been satisfactorily humiliated, Tatania had let her go, leaving the bitch bleeding and broken, while she escaped.  
  
From that moment on Tatania had given up on her Daybreak principles, refusing to accept the idea that vampires could be *good.* She had ended up as a self-made assassin, vampire hunter extraordinaire.   
  
And if someone, eve if they were from Circle Daybreak wanted her help in once again, dealing with Scarlet fucking Blackthorn and friends, then Tatania was more than willing to agree.  
  
  
She cruised around the town, evening, just setting in. The vampires would be coming out soon.  
  
She parked a few yards down from Scarlet's mansion, debating on just going in and staking her, when a sleek red soft-topped car with a gorgeous guy drove in through the gates of the mansion.  
  
Scarlet's new boyfriend? Hmmm...  
  
* * * 


	22. Part 21

Part 21  
  
Scarlet was freaking and she knew she was. She needed some comfort. Anything to take her mind off what had just happened. She told herself it was a fluke and nothing more. She couldn't seem to shake off...  
  
So much for not thinking about it. She wondered if Erica was dealing with it any better than she was. Erica would probably go running off to her stupid Circle Daybreak friends, demanding an explanation.  
  
"I'm here, what's wrong?" Dathan came hurrying into her room.  
  
Scarlet wanted to throw herself into his arms. But she found herself frozen. She couldn't move. ~Damn you, Erica~ she thought.   
  
"What the hell is the matter with you?" Dathan sounded more annoyed than alarmed.  
  
Scarlet opened her mouth and before she could stop herself she told him. Everything just came out in a tumbling flood of words. She buried her face in a pillow, so ashamed.  
  
"What'd you want to do about it?"  
  
Dathan sat on the bed beside her, one hand stroking her hair gently. She had expected him to sneer or laugh at her. To be angry that her soulmate was someone else and not him.  
  
Scarlet looked up at him, feeling extremely pathetic and hating herself for feeling that way. "You're not mad?"  
  
Dathan studied her for a few minutes. "No. Not really."  
  
Scarlet sat up, eyeing him suspiciously. *Why* wasn't he...oh.  
  
"Twice the fun for me," Dathan said with a smirk.  
  
Scarlet glared and hit him with the pillow. "Asshole!"  
  
He kissed her, knocking the pillow away, crawling on top of her, his hands sliding up her shirt and unhooking her bar, caressing her breasts.   
  
Scarlet sighed dreamily, letting him kiss her and touch her. Her sudden rush of fear was gone. She pushed him away after about ten minutes.  
  
"We have a new situation," she said finally. She knew that the police had already found the body of the girl he and Joab had killed the other night. Now if Erica was smart, Dathan already freaked her out, she wouldn't give his name to them. She'd be afraid of what might happen to her.  
  
"She needs to be dealt with," Dathan said.  
  
"She needs to be *killed*," Scarlet said. "Only if one of us do it, it'll be suspicious."  
  
Dathan smiled a little. "We could ask Cole."  
  
Scarlet's nose wrinkled. "Isn't he a Daybreaker?"  
  
Dathan smiled again. "I don't think he's really all that fussed. Depends on how he's feeling."  
  
Scarlet studied him. "How do you - Eeuww!" She stared at him in utter disbelief. She was freaking over the discovery of a soulmate connection with Erica, while Dathan would dump her, while he was screwing Cole? *Cole*?  
  
Dathan shrugged. "Could be twice the fun for *you*."  
  
Scarlet's eyebrow raised. Then she shook her head. That wasn't the issue right now. "You think Cole with kill her for us? I thought Adia could do it."  
  
Dathan snorted. "Adia's one of *their* spies. She thinks we don't know."  
  
Scarlet's eyes rolled. That didn't actually come as a surprise. "Whatever. It'll have to be Cole then."  
  
* * * 


	23. Part 22

Part 22  
  
Erica wasn't sure how she'd react, running into Scarlet in school. She barely slept that night, trying to make some sort of sense out of what was going on. So she knew about the Night World, what Scarlet was, and what soulmates meant.  
  
That didn't exactly make her feel any better. Even though she knew, Janelle would still be dead. And Dathan and Joab were going to get away with it. She dragged herself out bed early that morning, unable to sleep.  
  
She sighed heavily as she dressed simply in blue jeans and a pink t-shirt. At least she didn't have to worry about making a good impression anymore.  
  
She supposed the good thing out of this experience was she found a group to belong to and some friends.  
  
Her mother was silent at breakfast, still in her dressing gown, she hadn't even bothered brushing her hair. She just pushed scrambled eggs around on a plate with her fork.  
  
Erica felt bad for not knowing what to say to make her mother feel better, She couldn't exactly say that Janelle had been killed by two vampires.  
  
Erica finished her cereal and put the bowl in the sink. She went upstairs to brush her teeth. She picked up her books, pausing in the kitchen.  
  
"I have to go to school now." Her mother didn't even look up. Erica sighed and trudged out the door.  
  
When she got to school she kept an eye out for Scarlet, hoping to avoid her. She saw Joab walking down the hall looking like his typical cloud of gloom. Ara was beside him. Neither of them said anything to her as they passed. Had Scarlet not said anything to anyone?  
  
Erica wasn't exactly ashamed of what had happened. She was just confused. She was even more confused when she reached the student common room to find Celeste, Cole, Triana and a few others with an older-looking girl she'd never seen before.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked.  
  
"This is Tatania Patterson," Celeste said smugly.   
  
"I hear you've had an unfortunately run in with Scarlet Blackthorn." Tatania's voice was laced with bitterness and hatred.  
  
From the brief moments she had spent inside Scarlet's mind Erica remembered something had happened to Scarlet, something this Tatania person was supposed to be responsible for.  
  
She frowned, not sure why she was getting a very bad feeling about what this girl was doing here. Something to do with the whole soulmate thing?  
  
  
"Not that unfortunate," she said with a shrug. She didn't want to stir up anymore bother with Scarlet and her Night People.  
  
"Didn't her boyfriend and his brother kill your younger sister, with barely a reason for it?" Tatania pointed out.  
  
This girl gave Erica the creeps twice as much as Scarlet and Dathan ever had. "Yeah, but..."  
  
"Then they should pay for it," Celeste cut in. "The human police will never catch them. If we don't do something ourselves they'd never be brought to any kind of justice."  
  
Erica looked at Triana, who just shrugged helplessly. Who just shrugged. She didn't know what to say. On the one hand, yeah, she agreed that Joab and Dathan should pay for what they did to Janelle. Killing her for being in the way was a stupid reason.  
  
Yet on the other hand, she wasn't sure she wanted to upset Scarlet anymore by killing her boyfriend.  
  
And on a third hand, Dathan was in the way, preventing her and Scarlet from being together. Erica was more than willing to give the whole soulmate thing a try. Scarlet was the one being bitchy about it.  
  
"What'd you have in mind?" she asked finally.  
  
* * * 


	24. Part 23

Part 23  
  
"*Cole*? Are you serious?" Ara asked, staring at Scarlet in disbelief.   
  
Scarlet nodded. "That's what Dathan said. I could scarcely believe it myself." She shook her head, smiling a little. She had never thought Dathan would be into that. If either he or his brother were gay, then she would have automatically assumed it would be Joab.  
  
"Hey, Joab's *straight*!" Ara said defensively.   
  
Scarlet just shrugged. She knew that Dathan wouldn't approach Cole during school hours. She didn't bother asking Aida to do it, considering the bitch was a spy. She needed to be taught a lesson for being a traitor.  
  
They already had one dead body on their hands. Another might be too suspicious. Then again, Aida wasn't the type of girl people would notice if she vanished. Granted, the Daybreakers would be pissed off they'd lost a spy, but that was how things went.   
  
Scarlet was a little surprised when she noticed Cole heading in their direction, looking a little confused.  
  
"There was a note inside my math book telling me you wanted to see me." He eyed her warily.  
  
Ara looked at him, then made a noise somewhere between a snort and a snicker and had to look away, covering her mouth. Cole's eyebrow raised.  
  
"It's not about *that*," Scarlet said dismissively. "Dathan already told me."  
  
"Oh." If anything, Cole looked relieved. Then he grinned wickedly. "I'm willing to share if you are."  
  
Scarlet's eyes rolled. It was exactly what Dathan had said. "Maybe another time."  
  
Cole shrugged. "Your loss. So what's this all about?"  
  
Ara was looking rather suspicious as well. The only person she'd told about what happened with Erica was Dathan. She wasn't sure how anyone else would react. She wanted to keep it quiet for as long as she could, providing Erica didn't go blabbing about it.  
  
How could she get round Ara? She was actually pleased when she saw Joab heading in their direction. His usually blank face was troubled. He seemed vague and out of it.  
  
"*Now* what's happened?" Ara asked.  
  
Joab's brow wrinkled. "I...I don't know. Yet, anyway. I'm not sure if this is something or nothing."  
  
Scarlet wished he'd just get to the point. She didn't like it when he did his vague thing. If he had something to say, then why the hell didn't he just come right out and *say* it.  
  
"What?" she demanded.  
  
"I just saw another new girl with the Daybreakers."  
  
Scarlet and Ara exchanged glances. Two new girls in two days was pretty weird anywhere. "Who?"  
  
Joab shrugged. "She seemed to old to even be a senior. I'm guessing early twenties."  
  
Scarlet frowned. That was odd. What twenty-something would want to hang around with a bunch of high school students.  
  
"Did you catch a name?" Cole asked, frowning a little. Clearly he hadn't met this girl yet.  
  
"Tatania something."  
  
Scarlet's blood ran cold. No. No. It couldn't be. Her life was already fucked up enough as it was at the moment without that bitch coming back and making things worse.  
  
Before she knew what she was doing she had turned around and run.  
  
* * * 


	25. pART 24

Part 24  
  
"What's *her* problem?" Ara asked, irritated watching Scarlet running off as if Joab had told her the world was about to end. Joab frowned, almost wanting to run after Scarlet. He wasn't sure what Cole was doing there.  
  
"I can take a hint," Cole said with a sigh, and walked away.  
  
"Who's Tatania Patterson?" Ara asked.  
  
Joab shrugged. "I'm not sure." He knew for some time, like most of the Night People around here, something very had happened to Scarlet. It had to do with how she and Dathan had gotten together.  
  
And he also knew that someone named Tatania was responsible. Now she was here in school with the Daybreakers.  
  
But Scarlet hadn't killed Janelle. He and Dathan had. Scarlet didn't need to suffer anymore.   
  
Ara glared at him. "What aren't you telling me, Joab?"  
  
"That would be telling," Joab said with the trace of a smile. He walked away, lost in thought. He knew now that Scarlet's plans for messing with Erica were going to go out the window. Something had happened between them. Before he did anything, he needed to know.  
  
Dathan knew, but Dathan wouldn't say anything. He had to hear this from Erica, who was more likely to tell him the truth. Scarlet, he knew, would twist it up anyway she could so she could blame it on everyone but herself.  
  
He found Erica headed into her first period geometry glass. "We need to talk." His voice was soft, but it caught her attention right away. She turned, not looking thrilled at the thought of being alone with him.  
  
"I won't bite."  
  
Most kids looked at Joab that way, a confused mix of admiration and fear. It was partly to do with his looks, he knew that. His long black hair, his choice of clothing was always (surprise, surprise) black. And then there was his marble white skin and haunting, deep dark eyes. A shadow with human form, someone had called him once. Just a vampire, actually, he had answered. That scene struck him as funny now.   
  
"Um...I have to go to class."  
  
He frowned a little, trying not to notice the smell of her fear. It was kind of hard. "No you don't," he said, taking her arm in a light grip. He pulled her to a table in the outside eating area.  
  
Erica frowned. "Won't people..."  
  
Joab smiled. "No."  
  
"Oh." Erica's voice was small. Did she know he'd helped kill her sister?  
  
"I need to know what happened with you and Scarlet." He didn't bother wasting time trying to be pleasant, he just got right to the point.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Joab smiled a little. "This has to do with that Tatania Patterson person. I don't think she can be trusted."  
  
Erica sighed. "It's kind of - " She broke off, studying him. "Um - are you - um - "  
  
Joab nodded. "Yeah. I am."  
  
"Well she called and said we needed to talk so I went over, she was creepy. She bit me, and some sort of connection sparked. I was pulled into her mind. She freaked. When I talked to Triana later, she called it soulmates."  
  
Joab sighed. "I expected something like that."  
  
"What did Tatania do to Scarlet?" Erica asked. "When I was in her mind she was afraid because of something that happened."  
  
Joab drummed his fingers on the table top, trying to figure it out. Ah. He finally got it. Oh. If *that* was the case...what had *Scarlet* done to provoke it?  
  
"I'm not sure," he lied. "But *you* need to be careful. Particularly of this Tatania Patterson person. I'm not sure she can be trusted."  
  
"She gave me the creeps," Erica said. They sat there in silence. This was much more serious than he'd ever expected.  
  
* * * 


	26. Part 25

Part 25  
  
It seemed as if everything was ruined. There was no way Scarlet could ever show her face in school again. Not if that bitch was there. If she went around bragging what she'd done...  
  
She hastily threw things into a small suitcase, deciding there was only one option dealing with all this. Leave. Go somewhere now where no one knew who she was. She would change her looks, her name, and hide. No one would be able to find her.  
  
She didn't care about anything anymore. Right now staying alive and escaping were all that mattered to her. So why did images of soft blonde hair and hurt grey eyes keep flicking in her mind? Why did she keep thinking how upset Erica would be if she left and they never got to do anything about their soulmate connection?  
  
She had told herself Erica meant nothing to her. *Nothing*. Scarlet sighed, knowing as she had all along, no matter how much she tried to deny it, she and Erica *were* soulmates.  
  
Erica was vermin and it would be death for them both. It was safer for Erica if Scarlet just left, they wouldn't get the chance to get to know each other. Then nothing could happen between them and Tatania could never spoil it.  
  
"You think if you leave she won't be able to find you?"  
  
Scarlet froze at the unexpected sound of Joab's voice. She glared at him furiously. "Please *warn* me before you do that!" she snapped. She despised the way Joab just appeared as if out of nowhere. What he did knew that she didn't?  
  
"Well, I know the truth about what happened between you and Erica for one thing," he said calmly.  
  
Scarlet glared sullenly. "How?"  
  
"I asked her. I'm not sure how she feels about it, thought. She doesn't seem as freaked as you."  
  
Scarlet wasn't that surprised. Erica hadn't been in town for a week. She didn't have a reputation to uphold. "What else do you know?"  
  
"What Tatania Patterson did."  
  
Scarlet's mouth opened, then fell shut. She couldn't find anything to say for a full three minutes. "*What?*" she whispered, dropping down on the bed.  
  
He sat next to her. "I guessed. I'm surprised no one else has figured it out, really."  
  
So was Scarlet, to tell the truth. She had tried to keep it a secret as long as possible. It now looked like the secret was out.  
  
"I haven't told anyone, not even Dathan or Erica," Joab said gently, touching her hand lightly. "And I'm not going to."  
  
  
  
Despite some of his most irritating habits and over all weirdness Scarlet was oddly certain she could trust him. She couldn't understand why he would care, but found herself glad she had someone she could talk to.  
  
"What I'm wondering," Joab said, "is if she tortured you, what *you* did to provoke it? If she's a Daybreaker, they generally don't go around slaughtering and torturing people."  
  
Scarlet flinched at the word of 'torture'. It was the nice was of saying what she had been through. She was a *vampire*. She had been doing what vampires do. "She's *not* a Daybreaker," Scarlet snorted. "I didn't do anything."  
  
Joab's eyebrow raised. "Come on, I'm not stupid. I can either find out from you - or I can ask her."  
  
Scarlet went stiff. If Tatania told Joab and someone else over heard...if the truth came out...The truth about Janelle would come out too, quite possibly the exposure of the Night World as well.  
  
She was clear either way. "Some younger kid wanted to be popular. Just a vermin. We played with her for a while, and then we killed her."  
  
"She was related to Tatania?"  
  
"Apparently. Somehow I got all the blame."  
  
"You really think running away is the answer?"  
  
Scarlet stood up, done with talking for the time being. It was good enough for her. "Yeah. I can't see any other option - apart from being dead and that's not exactly appealing."  
  
Joab smiled dryly. "There is another option. Though you'll probably hate me for even thinking it. For you and Erica."  
  
Scarlet frowned at him. Then got what he meant. "Never. Not now. Not ever." No way. Absolutely not. She'd rather be dead. "Just go away." She left the room, grabbing her suitcase, taking it with her.  
  
The hell with this. She was leaving and no one was going to talk her out of it.  
  
* * * 


	27. Part 26

Part 26  
  
By the end of the day Erica had decided she didn't like Tatania Patterson. The older girl was twisted, and as for her ideas of revenge...Erica wanted no part of it.  
  
She was still made over Janelle's death, but that was Dathan's fault. She was starting to understand a little more about this whole soulmate thing. It was making her thing of Scarlet in a new light. Okay, so she'd done something to Tatania, but everyone messed up, mistakes could be forgiven. Nobody needed to be so utterly twisted with the desperate desire to destroy another person's life.  
  
She was worried about Scarlet, no one had seen her since that morning. She didn't know who to walk to, apart from Joab, who didn't seem to be around anywhere.  
  
"You've been distracted all day, are you okay?" Triana asked, as they left their last class of the day.  
  
Erica sighed, she didn't know how to explain it in words. "I...I don't know. This whole thing with Tatania..." She trailed off. She probably wasn't making a whole lot of sense.  
  
"You're worried about Scarlet," Triana guessed.  
  
Erica nodded. "Whatever this girl is planning, I *don't* want to be the excuse to make it okay." She was a little embarrassed to admit she thought she might be falling in love with Scarlet. She barely knew the girl, but at the same time knew she would never be the same if anything happened to Scarlet. It was all to do with the whole soulmate thing.  
  
"Tatania Patterson isn't even a real Daybreaker," Triana said as they left the high school.  
  
Erica frowned, stopping at the top of the steps. "What's you mean?"  
  
"I did a little background checking. Her viciousness surprised me as well. She dropped out a few years ago. Scarlet was responsible for the death of her sister. She never got over it."  
  
Erica didn't say anything. Technically, Scarlet was the reason Janelle had died. Erica didn't want to deal with all the irritating technicalities of the whole thing.  
  
"Scarlet's terrified of her, so I'm guessing she somehow got some sort of revenge. What's she doing here *now*?"  
  
Triana shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "Se's happy to use any excuse to get back at Scarlet."  
  
Erica sighed again. It was all completely nuts to her. Tatania could kill Dathan if she wanted, Erica decided she didn't like him anymore. She actually found herself starting to like Joab. He was a little weird, but that made him slightly more appealing to her.  
  
  
  
  
  
And speaking of Joab...he was coming up the steps heading towards her and Triana. Erica had the sudden horrible feeling that she might be blushing.   
  
"Now what?" Triana wasn't pleased to see him.  
  
"Scarlet's thinking if she leaves everything will be okay," he said to Erica, ignoring Triana. "She's on the beach."  
  
Erica felt like he'd slapped her. Scarlet couldn't leave! "I...I have to go." She fled down the steps. She knew vaguely where the beach was. She just hoped she wasn't too late.  
  
* * *  
  
It never should have happened, but of course it had. And Scarlet was going to have to deal with it whether she wanted to or not. She had always been on top of things. She had been so stupid. Now she was paying for what she had done.  
  
Scarlet had always believed she was the more superior one. The one with the laws that had to be followed with a threat of death, a force to be reckoned with. For almost all her life she had been perfectly inclined to believe that.  
  
She wanted someone to talk to, but who would understand? Joab never really got it. Dathan would be disgusted. Ara would be appalled. Caleb and Ridge would die from laughter. She certainly wasn't ready for the change yet. Not while *she* was a world.   
  
  
"It'll happen sooner or later, and you know it as well as I do."  
  
Scarlet's teeth gritted. She refused to turn around and look as she heard Erica's voice, her footsteps sliding over the pebbly beach.  
  
"Not necessarily," Scarlet said through gritted teeth, keeping her voice calm and cool. She refused to let any emotion show.   
  
"What's the big deal, anyway?" Erica asked. Her voice was hurt.   
  
Scarlet tried to pretend she didn't care. Everything was Erica's fault. If Scarlet had never met the girl, she wouldn't be where she was now.   
  
"If you stay, then they'll kill you." Erica reached out to touch her.   
  
Scarlet jerked away. "Don't. Just leave me alone." She turned to glare pointedly, her eyes flashing with rage.  
  
Erica just stood there, in the dying light of the day, her pale face sad, her luminous grey eyes brimming with unshed tears. Her soft blonde hair blew in the salty breeze of the ocean. "But I love you," she whispered.   
  
"Well I *don't*," Scarlet snapped. She knew she was being cruel. She knew Erica was likely to go home and cry herself to sleep. She was completely in love with Scarlet. What had changed from yesterday? Whatever. *It* *didn't* *matter*. "What do I have to do to get it into your thick head? *Go* *away*! I don't want to see you *ever* *again*!"  
Erica sighed sadly. "If that's what you want, then I'll just go." She turned and began climbing over the rocky beach, and out of Scarlet's sight.  
  
Scarlet watched her go feeling surprisingly empty inside. ~This isn't fair~ she thought.   
  
Before Erica disappeared, Scarlet caught one last fleeting thought from Erica's mind. ~If she hates me so much, how come she hasn't left yet?~  
  
Scarlet almost laughed. Erica really believed she was hanging around for *her*? Scarlet started to shake her head. Then got it like she'd been hit with a ton of bricks. The truth finally, *finally* sank in, ~Oh *God*,~ she thought. She couldn't deny anything anymore, not matter how much she wanted to.  
  
~Damage control~ she thought, trudging back the way she'd come.  
  
* * *  
The house was empty when Erica got home. There was a message from her mother saying she was staying with Erica's grandparents for a few days to pull herself together. Erica could come too if she wanted. Erica called back and said she didn't mind staying in the house, she had to go to school anyway.  
  
A storm had started outside. Every time the thunder boomed and lightning crashed, she jumped, she did her home work, ate some dinner, watched TV for a few hours, trying to ignore the tears that kept threatening to spill. If she started crying she was afraid she would never stop.  
  
Eventually she turned off the TV and locked the doors, turned off the lights and went upstairs to go to bed. When she got to her room, she stopped dead at the tall shadowy figure with long dark hair.  
  
"I thought you never wanted to see me again," Erica said through the lump forming in her throat.  
  
"I know. I just..." Scarlet held out her arms.  
  
It might have been a trick of the lightning, but Erica was convinced she could see a silver line, a cord, pulling her to Scarlet, binding them together. For the first time her lips met Scarlet's, and the rest of the world melted away.  
  
* * * 


	28. Part 27

Part 26  
  
Erica woke up to find arms wrapped around her. She was still snuggled close to Scarlet, who was awake, her expression grave. Erica felt shy, and at a loss for words, but right now there didn't seem to be any need for them.  
  
She'd never done anything like she had done last night. She wasn't really sure what she had been doing, and Scarlet wasn't either. They had been together, given into their soulmate connection, and everything had been pure bliss.  
  
And now, just lying here, with Scarlet, gently stroking her hair, a finger running up and down one bare arm...she shivered with pleasure.   
  
"We still have issues to deal with," Scarlet said softly. "Tatania isn't just going to go away."  
  
Erica sighed. She didn't want to think about Tatania right now, but unfortunately, they had to. "She's determined to destroy you - by destroying the lives of everyone who matters to you."  
  
Scarlet's eyes closed. "That bitch can't let anything go."  
  
Erica didn't say anything. She couldn't blame Tatania for being angry about her sister's murder. There was still a part of her angry over the death of Janelle, even though she had hated her own sister. She could accept, however, that Scarlet was genuinely sorry. She hadn't been the killer, anyway.  
  
Scarlet got out of bed and went into the bathroom Erica and Janelle had shared. Erica headed into her mother's shower room. She wasn't exactly sure *what* they were going to do about Tatania. Celeste *agreed* readily with her plan, Cole was never around anymore. Triana didn't seem fussed either way, though Erica got the feeling she was more inclined to go with Celeste.  
  
Which brought only one solution, as far as Erica could see. It was harsh, maybe, but it seemed that was what it would take for her and Scarlet to survive.  
  
"I have an idea," she said, once back in her room.  
  
Scarlet looked up from her seat at the dressing table. "Oh?"  
  
"Kill her."  
  
Scarlet stared at her for several minutes, then laughed. "I never thought I'd hear that from you."  
  
"I never thought I'd have to *say* it," Erica admitted. "But it's the only way to get rid of her."  
  
Scarlet didn't say anything for a few minutes, just sat there staring at her reflection, half dried red hair falling in curls around her shoulders. She still held the hair dryer in her right hand, gripping it like a gun. Then she nodded. "All right. That's one problem solved."  
  
Erica frowned. "What's the other?"  
  
"In the Night World it's forbidden for us to love a human, and to tell them."  
  
Erica didn't say anything. Triana had mentioned that to her when she had first told Erica about the Night World. As Erica thought about it, the solution seemed to be pretty obvious. "Well, that's easy."  
  
Scarlet's eyebrows raised a little. "Really."  
  
"I become a Night Person. It's possible to make someone a vampire, right?"  
  
Scarlet frowned. "Technically. But you need official permission from someone in the Council. And I don't have it. And there's no way I'll ever get it." She paused, then brightened. "But as far as I know there's no law restricting making people *shapeshifters*. They're not governed by the Night World Council."  
  
Erica hadn't thought about that, the idea of changing her shape, becoming an animal. But if it meant she could be with Scarlet, then she was willing to do anything it took.  
  
"We need to sort out a plan - and find one willing to change me," Erica said.  
  
Scarlet smiled brilliantly. "Leave it to me."  
  
Erica nodded and managed a smile as Scarlet switched the hair dryer back on. She wasn't too sure about it though. Scarlet's plans had a habit of going wrong.  
  
* * * 


	29. Part 28

Part 28  
  
They went to school separately. Scarlet was still a little self conscious about...~Say it,~ she told herself. ~It's what you are now. Once you admit it you'll feel better. ...about her new-found lesbianism. She had thought she could handle everything when she was with Dathan. Dangerous, gorgeous, and a Redfern, he had been there when Tatania had tortured her and left her to die. She had thought, and forced herself to believe that Dathan would protect her.  
  
Lately, though, when she thought about it properly, whenever she had been with him, woken up next to him, something had been missing. On the surface she had refused to admit I to herself, distracted herself with foolish games. The result being she found her soulmate. The last person she had ever expected.  
  
She smiled as she stuffed some heavy textbooks in her locker. That was always the case, wasn't it? Her smile became a grimace as she remembered her first class was gym. She debated on cutting, considering her new...discoveries, and she wasn't too sure whether being in a locker room full of other girls was really a good idea.  
  
She'd already had a lecture from the vice-principal when she'd arrived that morning about running off the other day. Someone had blabbed. So she forced herself to. She kept her thoughts and her expression blank, her mind on the game of soccer they were forced to play.  
  
  
She kept her eyes straight ahead in the locker room, not looking around her, trying not to keep in the shower, ignoring the twinges she felt in new places, hearing the laughing and talking of the other girls.  
  
She spotted a familiar head of raven hair with a blue shimmer, and an Oriental face. "Li," she called. "Hang on a minute."  
  
Li glanced at her, smiling falsely. "I'm going to be late for geometry." Scarlet grabbed her arm in a vice like grip. Li looked at her in shocked amazement. "What's *up* with you?"  
  
"You're not going to geometry." Scarlet pulled her out of the locker room. "Kimmy," she called, to one of the nobody girls who was always hanging around her group hoping they might include her. "Kimmy, do you know the new girl, Erica Hamilton?"  
  
Kimmy nodded. "She's in my art class - um - now."  
  
"Tell her to come to the picnic benches outside and meet me there." Kimmy nodded and hurried off. Scarlet dragged Li outside.  
  
"I thought you hated Erica," Li whined plaintively. Scarlet didn't say anything. It was going to be hard enough convincing a shifter willing to change Erica.   
  
"It's kind of hard to explain, but you're going to help me."  
  
Li looked at her for several minutes when they'd found a seat. Her eyes widened as she finally got it. "Oh my God - you guys are soul - "  
  
Scarlet kicked her hard in the shin. Li yelped, but stopped talking. "Yes," Scarlet said harshly. "We can't do the vampire thing, but the shifters have different rules. They're not governed by the Night World council."  
  
"Why should I help you?" Li said, regaining a little confidence. She straightened up, tossing back her raven hair.   
  
Scarlet's smile was cruel. She could still be a grade A hitch when she wanted to be. "I'm sure Ara would *love* to know what you've been doing with Joab. She'll rip you limb from limb."  
  
Li's mouth opened, then sagged shut as Erica arrived. Scarlet smirked, knowing she'd won this round. "What's going on?" Erica asked sitting down next to Scarlet.  
  
Scarlet's arm slipped around her shoulders. "We've got one shifter here who's going to change you."  
  
Erica looked a little nervous at the idea. Then her face smoothed out and she nodded confidently. "Into what animal?"  
  
"Well, Li is a panther, so it'll be some kind of hunting cat."  
  
"Oh. Okay." If anything Erica sounded disappointed. Scarlet looked at her for a minutes, then got it. Erica had wanted to be a bird. ~Everyone wants wings,~ she thought, giving her an affectionate cuddle. "After school," she said finally. "My place. We'll do it then."  
Erica nodded again, her head resting on Scarlet's shoulder. Both Scarlet and Li shared last period geography, so there was no chance for Li to escape.  
  
That was plan A dealt with. Now she needed to do something for plan B, the most important plan: killing Tatania. As long as she was still around there was no way she and Erica could ever be happy together. Tatania would make absolutely sure of it, even if Erica became a Night Person.  
  
Then the only thing left would be to salvage the situation and explain Erica's change to the other Night People. Joab would understand, but Ara, Dathan and the others might not see it their way.   
  
Scarlet felt her lips curving again. She already had an idea for *that* as well.  
  
* * * 


	30. Part 29

Part 29  
  
Celeste wasn't sure she was seeing right. Twice in the  
last two days she had seen Erica dragged out of class  
by Scarlet's people. First Joab, then Kimmy on an  
errand.   
  
From her seat in the art room she could see Erica  
sitting on the picnic benches - *snuggling* *with*  
*Scarlet*. Li was there as well, looking somewhere  
between aghast and afraid.  
  
What was going on with *that*? The other day Erica was  
willing to agree with Tatania's plan to get rid of  
Scarlet for good. Now they were getting snugly - *and*  
*smoochy!*  
  
Celeste quickly averted her eyes. Triana had told her  
Joab had said to Erica something was wrong with  
Scarlet and Erica had run off like she was being  
chased by the devil.  
  
She looked around the art class, trying to get Adia's  
attention. Maybe Adia, being one of their spies, might  
have an idea of what the hell was going on. Cole was  
behaving oddly too. She'd seen him with Dathan Redfern  
a lot that week.  
  
Class seemed to drag on forever. It was always that  
way when there were more important things than school  
work to focus on. She almost wished she was a vampire,  
so she could at least talk telepathically to someone.  
  
Finally the bell rang. She caught Adia's arm on the  
way out. "Did you see - "  
  
"I saw," Adia said. "Half the school probably saw."  
She shook her dark head. "And before you ask I *don't*  
have any idea what's going on."  
  
Celeste sighed. She might have figured that one. "Can  
you find out? The last thing we need is another  
innocent person dead."  
  
Adia nodded. "I'll see what I can do?"  
  
"And see if you can find out what's going on with  
Dathan and Cole while you're at it," Celeste added  
absently. Adia nodded and disappeared into the sea of  
students.   
  
"What's going on?"  
  
Celeste almost shuddered as she felt Tatania's hand  
closing on her shoulder. "Our link is making out with  
the target."  
  
Celeste sighed. "I know, I saw them. They need a  
lesson in subtlety, big time."  
  
Tatania was silent for a few minutes. The halls were  
emptying around them. "That doesn't work well with our  
plan."  
  
"I know. Adia's a spy of ours, she's going to find out  
what's happening."  
  
Tatania snorted. "That'll take too much time."  
  
Celeste looked at her suspiciously. She could  
understand Tatania's intense hated of Scarlet after  
what Scarlet had done. She didn't understand why  
Tatania hadn't killed the bitch the first time round.  
The torture hadn't exactly done much to change  
Scarlet's personality. But Celeste was worried that  
*because* Tatania hated Scarlet so much, she now,  
would just jump at any opportunity to kill her, and  
something would fuck up.  
  
"What'd you mean?"  
  
"The longer we let this linger, the more risks. It  
needs to be dealt with *now*."  
  
Celeste frowned. "Okay. So we'll get a message to  
Scarlet to meet us somewhere, then we can - "  
  
"Oh no." Tatania waved dismissively. "That's *so*  
overdone. I have a better idea." She smiled and walked  
away.  
  
* * * 


	31. Part 30

Part 30  
  
Erica was already tired of waiting for the day to be over. She wasn't exactly sure how people were turned into shapeshifters. She hoped it wouldn't involve drinking her blood.  
  
She noticed throughout the day, and particularly at lunch, Celeste was giving her funny looks. She put it down to people seeing her and Scarlet outside that morning. She hadn't seen Tatania Patterson lurking around and wondered if it was something to be worried about.  
  
Dathan was giving her dirty looks as well. His flirty thing with her had vanished completely and Caleb and Ridge were whispering about her every time she passed them in the hall. In last period French Triana tried to talk to her.  
  
"What's going on with you and Scarlet?" she asked softly. "Joab dragged you out of class yesterday, something's wrong with the bitch later on, and you zoom off like there's no tomorrow. Then today you leave with Kimmy to meet with Scarlet and Li."  
  
Erica frowned, nervously drumming her fingers on the desktop as she glanced at her watch. Five more minutes. "We've sorted things out," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.  
  
"Come on," Triana snorted. "I hope you know what you're doing."  
  
Erica nodded. "We talked about the soulmate thing and are dealing with it." Her tone became a little defensive. "And anyway, she's not as bad as you guys make her out to be. And this plan of Celeste's and Tatania's is absurd anyway."  
  
Triana looked at her silently for a few minutes. Then sighed, clearly realising she wasn't going to be able to talk Erica out of whatever Erica was planning. "Fine then. I just hope you don't end up like your sister."  
  
Erica turned away. She hadn't talked to Scarlet about what they were going to do with that yet. She wondered if wooden stakes really killed vampires.  
  
Finally the bell rang and she was out the door in two minutes. Scarlet was waiting for her by the picnic tables, along with Li, who wasn't looking happy. Scarlet smiled and held out a hand which Erica took. "Now?"  
  
Scarlet nodded. "Now."  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"What's up your ass?" Cole was at least smart enough to keep his distance as he made the comment.  
  
Dathan glared at him, trying not to smile even though Cole was doing a lousy job of trying to keep a straight face. "Look at them." He gestured across the front lawn where Scarlet and Erica were leaving school hand in hand, Li following them, her expression looking like she was on her way to meet the devil in flesh.  
  
Cole's eyebrow arched. "What? You're allowed to experiment with the same sex and she's not?"  
  
Dathan had to control himself not to hit Cole. "That's not it," she said hotly, though as reluctant as he might be to admit it, maybe that was *part* of it. "They're up to something. Scarlet's always been terrified of other girl's touching her, after Tatania tortured her." He scowled. "I've got a pretty good idea of what it is and *don't*" he whirled around as Cole's mouth opened, green eyes blazing, "say it."  
  
Cole shoved his hands into his pockets. Dathan had the feeling Cole would have done something else if they had been alone together, but not here in school where everyone could see them. Had Erica and Scarlet forgotten the rest of the world existed that morning?  
  
"Do you know what they're doing with Li?"  
  
Cole shook his head. "I know that Tatania Patterson is up to something, but Celeste wouldn't tell me what. I got the impression that's because *she* doesn't know."  
  
Dathan sighed. He was very tempted to let Tatania do whatever it was she wanted to do to Scarlet. But...he still loved her. It hurt she had found someone else to be her soulmate. Not her choice, maybe, but she was accepting it. The part of him that was angry and jealous had to e squashed.   
  
"Go save her," Cole said softly.  
  
Dathan looked up and their eyes met. An unspoken understanding passed between them before Dathan set off. He couldn't be too late already.  
  
* * * 


	32. Part 31

Part 31  
  
Li frowned as Scarlet drove them out of the high school parking lot. She wasn't going in the direction of her mansion. Li had been dreaming the change since she had been blackmailed into it that morning. If only she hadn't fooled around with Joab. He was different, gorgeous and deliciously weird and hadn't been all that hard to seduce...  
  
Now she was stuck into this illegal chance. She had mentioned it to Adia who was supposed to do something about it. But if they weren't doing the change in Scarlet's mansion...Erica's house, maybe? Ah. Yes, they were pulling to a stop in front of an ordinary house in the ordinary-house area of town instead of the rich section. "Are you sure there's no other way?" Erica asked as Scarlet stopped the car.  
  
Scarlet tapped her fingernails on the steering wheel. "Yes, there is no other way."  
  
Erica nodded. "Fifteen minutes." She got out of the car and went into the house.  
  
"What's going on?" Li asked.   
  
Scarlet's lips curved into a smile. "You didn't think I'd actually trust you not to blab about this, do you?"  
  
Lip opened her mouth indignantly, then shut it. She scowled, deciding Scarlet was probably right. "Where are we going then?"  
  
Scarlet just smiled again. "You'll see."  
  
Li stared at the house out the window. What was going on? Before long Erica came back with a suitcase in her hand, and a backpack in the other. "Joab'll blank Mom later," Erica said softly, there was a hint of sadness in her voice as well.  
  
"Got your passport?" Scarlet asked.  
  
Erica nodded. "You got the tickets?"  
  
"Yep." Scarlet pulled away from the house and drove off.   
  
Li didn't get it. Tickets and passports, what the hell were these idiots *thinking*? It became pretty obvious as they approached a motel just outside the airport.  
  
Scarlet flirted shamelessly with the desk clerk and came back with a room key. "I don't believe this," Li muttered as Scarlet pushed her inside. "You don't think you'll actually get away with this do you?"  
  
Scarlet laughed. "What'd you expect us to say?" she sneered. She looked at Erica. "Are you ready?"  
  
Erica nodded and sat on the bed. "Just about."  
  
Scarlet's burning gaze turned on Li. "Do it."   
  
Li shrugged, shifted, and pounced.  
  
* * *  
Tatania paced around Scarlet's deserted dark room, checking her watch, then the digital clock. They should *be* here by now. Bitch vampire, idiot human, and traitor 'shifter. She should have just killed Scarlet the first day she had arrived instead of teaming up with some dumb Daybreakers who probably couldn't handle what she was going to do.  
  
But the trio hadn't shown up yet. What was keeping them? Footsteps outside the door alerted her. Tatania smiled. She was going to have her moment. But it wasn't Scarlet, Erica or Li who opened the door.  
  
The guy was tall and dark skinned with eyes like emeralds with a desperate tint to them. "Scarlet? We need to - " He glared at Tatania. "You're not Scarlet."   
  
Tatania sneered. "You think?" She had seen this boy around, and driving up to the mansion when she'd first got there.   
  
"Where is she?" The guy had grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up. He was walking carefully to the balcony. Tatania tried to kick him, but it had no effect. "Not here!" she choked out. "I've been waiting since your school finished, and she never showed up."  
  
He was about to drop her over the balcony. He studied her for several minutes. ~I don't want to die~ Scarlet thought. She could kill, but not take it herself. Her eyes closed. She wondered if this was how her sister had felt moments before her death.   
  
But he didn't throw her over. He threw her back into the bedroom instead.   
  
"You're Tatania Patterson."  
  
Tatania scrambled to her feet as she guy circled her. She fumbled for her stake. "Gee, I'm famous. Should I be flattered?"  
  
"Not really, us knowing who you are won't do you any good."  
  
Tatania's gaze focused on the vampire. One quick lunge should do it. Catch him off guard. They were never *that* good. "Really? Why's that?"  
  
Distracted by the vampire in front of her, focusing her attention on him alone, she never knew one more was behind her until she realised something was wrong with her neck, and everything went black.  
  
* * * 


	33. Part 32

Part 32  
  
"So did you find anything?" Celeste hadn't seen or heard from Adia since that morning.  
  
Adia shook her head. She hadn't managed to find out much herself, Scarlet had been waltzing around, a dreamy look on her face. She had barely heard anything anyone had said to her. Li had stalked around in an angry daze, not speaking to anyone, or so it appeared. Or to be more specific, she hadn't said anything to Li. As for Erica, her look had been a cross between dreamy and wistful. Also worry as well.  
  
"Did Triana manage to get anything out of Erica? It seemed to me that there might be something bordering on friendship there." Then again, Scarlet had started off with an utter determination to absolutely to destroy Erica. Instead they had ended up falling in love.   
  
Celeste shrugged. "I haven't seen Triana." She paused. "Or heard anything from Tatania either. She said she had some sort of new and original plan in mind."  
  
Adia frowned. She had never liked Tatania, or anything of her plans. But there wasn't really a whole lot she could say because there wasn't a whole lot she knew that nobody else already did. Although..."I didn't find out *something*," she said with a grin.   
  
Celeste's eyebrow arched. "Cole?"  
  
"Has been having a secret affair. Pretty obvious if you think about it."  
  
Celeste's mouth dropped open. "Eew! He was the last person I'd ever have expected would be gay. Dathan kind of had it coming. Can't say why though, he just..." She trailed off and shrugged.   
  
Adia smiled, but didn't see what Dathan and Cole had to do anything. If they wanted to have a relationship, that was up to them. But then again, she thought, maybe if they could, what was the big deal about Scarlet and Erica?   
  
"What's the big deal about this, anyway?" she said finally. "So Scarlet and Erica have something going. Maybe - "  
Celeste laughed, though Adia didn't see what was so funny. "Yeah right, like falling in love with a human would make Scarlet turn into a Daybreaker." She fell silent and looked at Adia. Adia wondered what was going on for a few minutes. Then she got it.  
  
"You don't - oh who the fuck am I kidding? Of *course* that's what they're going to do."  
  
Celeste shook her head. "We should have figured it out on seeing them together this morning. But what's Li got to do with it?"  
  
"I'm guessing because they can't go for the vampire thing cause they'll get caught. Shifters are governed by the House of Drache, right?" Adia still didn't see how Scarlet and Erica could get away with this.   
  
  
  
"And we have no idea where they're going or anything." Celeste sighed.  
  
Adia didn't say anything. At this point she didn't think there was really anything left to say. She couldn't think of anyone who would know, or be willing to tell them.  
  
Before she could protest Celeste was grabbing her arm. "Come on, we're going to Scarlet's house."  
  
Adia sighed, letting herself be towed. She wasn't going to say what else she was thinking.  
  
* * *  
  
Dathan turned to look at Joab, standing behind the mummified body of Tatania. He opened his mouth, but couldn't seem to find any words. He shook his head, feeling lost and defeated. "I'm too late, aren't I?" he said with a sigh.   
  
Joab nodded. "They should be well on their way by now." He reached into the pocket of his black coat and pulled out a cream coloured envelope. "Scarlet asked me to give you this."  
  
Dathan took the letter, not sure if he wanted to read it or not. He didn't understand what had gone wrong between them. Tatania was dead, Scarlet would be safe now, but instead, she was gone.   
  
The door to the room burst open, Celeste hurried in, Adia trailing behind her, trying not to smirk. Celeste stared at the body, then at Dathan and Joab. "Where'd they go?"  
  
* * *  
  
"I can't believe you actually pulled this off," Erica giggled as the airline hostess topped up her champagne glass. She leaned back in the luxurious first class seat, grinning from ear to ear. "So what's it like in England?"  
  
Scarlet shrugged. "No idea. We're supposed to be meeting someone from Circle Daybreak at Gatwick Airport when we arrive." She checked the guide for in-flight movies.  
  
With any luck, Joab would be sorting everything out for her now, Erica's mom would be sorted out, and so would Dathan, everyone could probably get along just fine with out them.  
  
And if she and Erica were going to escape, what better way than to do it in style? She'd never flown coach in her life, and didn't plan on starting now. They would be okay in a Circle Daybreak safe house in London, no one would bother or judge them there.  
  
Erica was leaning against her, snickering about something. Scarlet looked at her, eyebrow raised. "What?"  
  
Erica shook her head. "It's just -I when I first came here all I wanted to do was make new friends and fit it. I ever expected to fall in love and fly off into the sun set at the end."  
  
"Me neither," Scarlet admitted, yawning as the flight safety guide began.   
  
The engines of the plane roared to life and it began to soar down the runway. And did just that, flew off into the sun set, taking them both to safety and new life.   
  
THE END. 


End file.
